


Bite Me

by Latios



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Vampire, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood, Blood Drinking, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hunter!Akechi, I put this under graphic violence tag but tbh idk how graphic itll be, Knives, Light Angst, M/M, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Self-Harm, Vampire Hunters, Vampire!Akira, Vampires, also Futaba is Akechi's sister in this, i saw the hc once and was sold, probably not too bad but shrug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-04
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-03-26 21:14:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 56,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13866138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Latios/pseuds/Latios
Summary: Goro Akechi hated vampires.His whole life has been a nightmare because of them, starting with his mother's murder, and now his job, which involved killing them on Shido's command when he wasn't doing detective work. They were bloodthirsty, deceptive parasites that filled the dark crevices of the city, waiting for their next target. They didn't care about humans, or anything as far as he knew—as long as they were fed. He's almost certain they don't feel things like love, happiness, or remorse, either.And what's worse, he's starting to suspect his boyfriend is one of them.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've never written p5 fanfic before but i'm just near the end of the game and.... I love these two so yeah i decided to write smth in my free time again LOL
> 
> I don't know how ooc this will be, I try not to do multi-chapter fic anymore because my interests fluctuate to the next thing pretty fast, but I think i'll like p5 for a while and before i knew it i had like 7k words for this au (and i'm pretty sure I'm only gonna have this be like 3 long chapters but last time i promised the same thing and made it like a 8 chapter thing so i guess we'll see) but yeah lmao
> 
> ANYWAY HERE U GO I GUESS. HAVE FUN.

Three vampires.

Three vampires, he’s killed tonight alone. One was just an underground lurker—probably homeless, hiding in the subway walls along the tracks, only coming out in the midst of the night for his next meal. His next _victim._

There had been some disturbances near Shibuya lately; people fainting, forgetting where they were and waking up in a cold sweat beside the tracks when travelling alone late at night. Some had even disappeared without a trace—only evidence to show they had been there in the first place being broken camera footage and small identifiers, like a lost shoe or a wallet. It had been a problem for some time, this vampire. 

The second vampire was a friend of the first, he assumes. Came at Goro only after he’d tackled down the first one, shooting it with a bullet in the chest and watching it fall. He only had moments of recovery time before he heard the knowing, bloodthirsty groans behind him, and prepared for another fight. He had gotten a bruised arm with that one—but well. The other guy looked worse.

The third was just a passerby—a vamp that had only come after he got hurt, the sweet smell human of blood filling the air, iron and tinny like an incense to the immortals. They may have only come in the interest of hunger, but it’s not like he could let one escape after they’d seen him. He didn’t need a hoard tracking him down.

His job was like this almost every day--part time work with the police, full-time work slave to shido in offing the latest nuisance in the city he wanted to run one day. Even if he was used to it, it still left him tired. Groggy. 

Overall, It’s been a long day, and Goro would really just enjoy a long silence and a hot cup of coffee to himself. 

The only place he can seem to get that anymore is Leblanc; a small, retro coffee shop in a dimly lit alleyway of Yongen-jaya. When it’s been a day like this day was, he finds himself taking the train there instead of his quiet apartment to waster a few hours. 

He seldom had the time to visit anymore, busy with work and all, but he went when he could manage.The owner was pretty generous with the free coffee refills, and.the atmosphere was warm and homey, the cushions worn and mismatched. It was something he found he didn’t really have elsewhere--the feeling that place gave him was much better than spending the last hours awake in his cold room.

Leblanc just happened to be owned by his half-sister’s adoptive father, so there’s that, too.

He follows the dark, empty streets to until he sees the familiar door, and opens it with the faint bell chiming at his entry. He’s used to this particular routine, knows the hours of business by heart (even if he’s allowed to stay past the closing time), and stays until his second or third cup of coffee runs out before wishing Soiro-san a good night, and heads home. The only changing occurrence is that sometimes his sister sits along the barstools, too. There’s never any fluctuation with this particular part of his day, as time seems to stand almost still in this small section of Tokyo.

But today, it’s different.

“Welcome to Leblanc,” A deep, sultry, very new voice welcomes him. His head snaps up, chestnut bangs falling into his eyes briefly as he looks up to see who’d spoken to him.

There’s a man at the coffee bar-- one he’s never seen before. Just a bit shorter than him with wavy, dark locks falling into clear grey eyes. He’s has long lashes and pale, pale skin; a pair of thick-rimmed glasses sit on the bridge of his nose, and he wears a green, basic apron. He’s young, and… Fairly attractive, if he’s honest with himself. 

_But who was he? Wouldn’t Sojiro have told him if they had a new part-timer? Wouldn’t Futaba have—_

“Are you going to stand in the doorway until closing?” the new part-timer asks, a smirk curling at the corner of his lip.

_Ah. He was a joker, it seemed._

Whatever interest Goro has in this man suddenly deflates like a popped balloon, abandoning him all at once and leaving him with a clear head. He hated playful people like this. He didn’t need to worry about this right now on top of everything—part timer or whatever he was, he could just ask Futaba about it later through text.

Goro sits and crosses his legs at the bar, leaving his briefcase on the floor, and leans into the tabletop. “A macchiato, please.” He asks, and the newcomer nods, turning around to the other counter to prepare his drink, and giving Goro plenty of time to watch him, learn something about this...barista.

“Here you are,” The barista-newcomer-whatever says with a slight smile, handing him his coffee and leans against the counter, openly staring at him. Whoever he is—he’s much nosier than Sojiro, who usually minds his own business the second he’s done serving, leaving the silence loud and comforting throughout the cafe as he watches tv, or sweeps. This man--he stares into Goro with those sharp, grey eyes, leaving the silence to settle much differently between them. Less comforting, feeling more like assessment. He’s seemingly… waiting for something. Or he’s just awkward, and much less diabolical than Goro’s always first impression.

He sips at the much-to-hot macchiato to fill the silence, and— _Oh._ His eyes widen. 

The newcomer might be strange, but he was talented. He wouldn’t get out of it alive if he said that out loud to Sojiro, but this was almost better than _his_ coffee.

“Good, right?” The stranger says, knowingly. Smugly. He leans into the counter, chin in hand, and much too close to Goro for his liking. He can almost feel the stranger’s breath grace his cheeks.

“It’s...decent.” Goro says, and bites at the burning sensation on his tongue. He wasn’t going to admit it to someone like this guy, but... Yeah, it was. _He just wish he had it to-go._

“It’s okay, I can tell from your face.” The guy says, capped off with a melodious laugh that warmed Goro’s cheeks. He sips at his too-hot macchiato, hoping to hide it just a bit.

They sit in a dull silence for a little while, just soaking in the atmosphere, and listening to the news play in the background. The barista doesn’t bother him for this time, watching the television in the absence of customers. Or at least, talkative ones. 

But Goro makes the mistake of trying to get answers to his questions, and blurts out, “What’s your name?” through the silence, drowning out the tv which seemed much quieter, in comparison. The guy grins again with that stupid charming smile, and Goro curses his stupid mouth—His stupid brain, for being so curious.

“Akira. Akira Kurusu.” The barista—Kurusu says, leaning forward again, and oh, he should have really just let him keep watching tv while it lasted. Now the limelight was back on him in the end. “What’s yours?”

“Goro Akechi.”

“Ah,” Kurusu says, recognition appearing in his eyes. _Did he know him?_ “I like it. I wanted to ask earlier, but you didn’t seem to want to talk all that much, so I thought I’d leave it.”

“Ah,” Akechi blinks. “I--I guess so, yeah. I usually come here because it’s quiet.” and now, it’s a perfect opportunity to keep asking things. “How long have you worked here, Kurusu-san? I haven’t seen you here before now.”

Kurusu crosses his arms, and leans into them on the tabletop, so, so close to Akechi. “Not long. I lived in a small town before this. I needed a change of scenery, so I thought to try out the big city.” He grins. “It’s nice, but I still think I prefer the quiet life even now. Sojiro was a family acquaintance, so he gave me a place to stay and work while I’m here.”

_Place to stay?_

“You live… with the Sakura’s?”

Kurusu shakes his head. “Nah. I live upstairs here.” He points above with thumb.

“Leblanc’s… attic.” Goro clarifies, squinting at the other, wondering if he’s hearing this right.

“Yup.” Kurusu hums, refilling Goro’s cup without prompt, which was now empty. He didn’t even notice he’d drained it. Had Sojiro told him to do that for customers? He thanks him before carrying on.

“Why not rent an apartment?” Goro asks, being nosy. “If you’re here to get away for a while, wouldn’t you be better off in a bigger part of the city? More touristy there for someone wanting to experience city life, I’d say.” _Safer, too,_ He doesn’t add. The smaller streets were where the vampires prey and fed, hidden in alleys and shadows of grimy buildings waiting for their next victim to walk through the silent places. For Goro, it was okay, but for a newcomer to the city… _no, no, he didn’t want to frighten him._ He bites his tongue again.

Kurusu shakes his head. “Nah, I’m not really the type for tourist stuff.” he says, an unreadable expression forming on his face. “This place is… probably best for now.”

_He’s weird,_ Goro thinks. He doesn’t press it, and takes a hearty sip of the coffee. Kurusu is strange, acts mysterious and looks like he’s got something to hide. An oddball, really. But he made good coffee, and had pretty eyes.

“Besides,” Kurusu shrugs. “Sojiro said if I work here, he didn’t mind hosting me for free for a while. Even if it’s just an attic, it’s pretty comfortable. You’d be surprised.”

Akechi shakes his head at him. _Well, it’s probably better than where I stay,_ He thinks sullenly to the small, cold room awaiting him.

“So what do you do?” Kurusu asks, looking down at the briefcase lying on the floor. “You look a little young to be in business.”

“Asking the customers’ personal questions now, are we?” Goro hums, smirking back at him, waiting for Akira to fumble. It doesn’t work, unfortunately, and he just gets that cheshire smile in return.

“I just told you my backstory in one go; is there any shame in just telling me what you do for a living?” He quirks a brow.

Goro rolls his eyes. “I’m a detective.” _I kill vampires to please government workers and an asshole politician._

Kurusu whistles. “At your age? You must be amazing at what you do.” 

Goro hates what a little praising does to him, as he sits straighter, fiddles with his tie in distraction. “Well, yes, I supposed I’ve solved a sufficient amount of cases while i’ve been here.” _And killed over thirty vampires just this month,_ he doesn’t add. “I work at the police station for the most part, since I was eighteen.”

Kurusu’s eyes widen. “And you’re… what, twenty? That’s pretty amazing.”

“Twenty-two. And, ah… thanks.” He coughs, covering his mouth.

Kurusu blinks. “Oh, you’re just a year older than me.” He smiles. “Nice.”

_what?_ Goro squints. “What?”

Just then, the television news cuts to a different news station, the speaker’s words cutting them both off, and also dragging their attention to the little box on the shelf.

_“Tonight—Just an hour ago, two vampires have been caught terrorizing a young woman on the way home from work, and have been taken into custody. They left multiple scars along her neck and arms, and she was taken to the hospital just in time to—”_

The sound fades out, as kurusu turns to him. “Does this happen a lot? In Tokyo, I mean. It’s the second report I’ve seen today.” he asks Goro, eyes flickering back to the screen, looking on pretty calmly. _Was it an act? Was he worried? He was so hard to read._

Goro smiles sympathetically. “It’s a problem everywhere nowadays, isn’t it?”

Akira’s head turns just a little too fast his way, eyes curious, wondering. “....Not that fond of vampires, Akechi-kun?”

Goro scoffs, but tries to stay neutral. “I mean… they’re certainly causing a lot of ruckus, lately.” He taps at his chin, pondering. “Just today, I had arrested two vampires who had been feeding on civilians at the Shibuya train station for the past three weeks.” He lies.

Kurusu looks at him, expression unchanged. “ So that means they’re all guilty, because you’ve arrested two?” 

“Ah, not what I meant.” Goro says. “They interest me, for sure. But let’s not pretend they’re innocent in most cases, shall we? The most gruesome of cases are revolved around them, after all.” His hands clench at his drink shakily, and Kurusu seems to catch this before he can reel back the reaction.

Kurusu’s eyes hone in on his hands before meeting his eyes once again. he’s quiet for a moment, before asking, “What has you interested about them?” and (thankfully) seeming to ignore the last part of what Goro said.

He pauses, contemplating. “Vampires—they have supernatural abilities, right? It’s almost a phenomena. Science can’t figure it out just what makes them this way yet, but their bodies are quite interesting. Their wounds heal within hours, their skin cells show no sign of decay-- it’s like they’re in a state of frozen time.” Goro says. “And besides that, they have supernatural strength, and perfect vision. Amazing sense of smell, and agility like no other in the animal kingdom. Then there’s the fact they’re immortal, never-aging, unless killed in specific ways. They’ve got the appearance of a human, but it’s like their code of DNA was changed, flipped right around and re-written until it’s something else entirely, matching that of a born pure-blood even if it was a human turned later in life, all from drinking infected blood.” He says. “There’s only a few ways to tell the difference between them, too.”

Akira nods. “Golden eyes, and a touch cold like death.”

Goro blinks. It wasn’t that rare for people to know the exact signs, but he expected an outsider to have some misconceptions. Pale skin was usually thrown onto the list, but that wasn’t true for every case. They still had blood, after all. Even if it was warped. And some people seemed to think they had a distinct scent—but that was false, too. 

“...Have you met any vampires, Kurusu-san?” He asks, hesitantly. 

Akira shrugged, after a moment. “A few, where I used to live.” he looks to the gruesome images on the television screen, of a woman’s brutal injuries, scarring teeth marks on her neck against the sterile white of a hospital room, blood and bruising on her arms. “The ones i’ve met… weren’t anything like this though.” He says. He tilts his head to the tv screen. “This is cruel.”

People in Tokyo, for the most part, had a slight fear of the unknown. And with the rising crimes committed by vampires, who were usually scurrying in the darkest parts of the city, hiding in the crevices and waiting for a target— it was an ongoing fear of running into one. Most humans just liked to stay in well lit areas, huddle in crowds, act ignorant to distant screams and block the dreadful news reports out. Try and stay far away—safe from what they don’t understand. It wasn’t even just Tokyo, though. It was a prominent problem in bigger cities, but he figured most were wary, even in small town. He thought most people would be on the same page, about the monsters.. Akira Kurusu was definitely… an enigma, even with this.

“I’m surprised you stood up for them. Most people here aren’t fond of them, so be prepared for that opinion to be met with criticism.”

Kurusu laughs humorlessly. “Yep. Figured that much out.”

Akechi raises a brow. _What was with that reaction?_ “I’m not sure what vampires were like in the small town you were from—but they’re dangerous here. There’s lots of them, looking for the next meal” Goro clarifies, making eye contact with Kurusu “Just stay with others when you go out if you can, and you should be just fine.” he says, swirling his macchiato around the cup. “Actually… Vampires have been seen around here in Yongen-Jaya too, as of late. I’d lock up early if Sojiro isn’t around. For your own safety”

Kurusu looks at him, that smile creeping back onto his lips. “Thank you for the warning, Akechi.” He says, sounding genuine, right before falling back into flirting territory with a change in voice, activating his flight or fight response. “Maybe _you_ should accompany me when I go out, then?”

It was only a few minutes of honest conversation before Kurusu reverted back to flirty asshole. Goro sighs, glad he was nearing the end of his coffee. He felt tired all of a sudden.

“You don’t seem awfully worried, so I think you’ll manage just fine.” Goro grunts.

“Oh, but I don’t really know where everything is yet, do I? Maybe you should stroll around with me for a few hours, and we could get dinner after.” Kurusu practically purrs, leaning in close. “I am new here after all—are you so against showing me around?”

“You sounded quite confident a moment ago.”

“Maybe that’s just me trying to cover my fears up. What if I get lost, and a vampire gets to me?” He batters his lashes, voice playful.

Goro frowns, and pushes back away from the table to get Kurusu out of his personal bubble. After a miniature staring competition with Kurusu, the smug bastard, he gives in. He opens his palm, and Kurusu stares at it for a second, unsure.

“Pen,” Akechi clarifies, and Kurusu stares at the outstretched palm for a moment, before his eyes widen, a look of genuine shock passing over his features for the briefest moment, before he grins at Akechi and turns around to grab a pen from the other side of the counter. It’s almost sweet.

When the pen is handed to him, his hand connects briefly with Kurusu’s. His fingertips are cold, despite the room temperature. Maybe it’s just him who was warm? Ah,it was only spring, after all. 

He flips Kurusu’s hand over, and writes down a series of numbers, ignoring the other’s grinning face after he’s finished and pulled away. There shouldn't be any harm in it, in the long run. Kurusu was kind of odd, but he could appreciate that, in a sense. Despite what his initial instincts were telling him, he didn’t seem that bad—just an incessant flirt with some odd opinions. And there was the fact he was undeniably attractive, of course.

Besides, he could always use a friend. He didn’t have many of those nowadays.

“Well, I think i’ll be heading out for the night.” Goro says, standing up, and grabbing his suitcase. “It was nice to meet you, Kurusu-san.” He reaches out to shake his hand, and Kurusu meets him halfway, smiling.

“Please, call me Akira.” 

Goro shakes his head with a small smile. “Goodnight, Kurusu-san.”

And after parting ways, he walks the cold streets back to the station alone. But his mouth hurts from smiling--it’s the most he’s done in a while, really. And because of a flirtatious, odd barista at that. Goro shakes his head.

_Well,_ he fathoms. _It could be interesting, to see him again._

~~~

Kurusu doesn’t hesitate to text him.

The next day at the police station and a boring day of paperwork and file sorting until his phone goes off with a string of messages, and he opens them when he returns to his desk.

**> Unknown: Hey, is this Akechi?**

**> Unknown: This is Akira.**

He’ll deny that his heart rate sped up at the two simple texts if anyone could ever call him out on it. He saves the number to his contacts, and texts back a reply.

**> Akechi: Hello, Kurusu-san.**

**> Akechi: You’re quite eager to see me again it seems, aren’t you?**

He snorts. If Akira tries to fluster him, he can try right back.

**> Akira: Yeah, I am. I’m happy you gave me your number. :)**

**> Akira: Also, I told you to call me Akira ? **

Goro’s heart does a thing, an he feels his cheeks heat up once again. How could he go from flirtatious to seemingly genuine with the flip of a light like that? Ugh.

**> Akechi: Fine...Akira-san.**

**> Akira: We’ll work on it.**

**> Akira: So did you want to go for a walk at Inokashira Park tomorrow and then maybe grab dinner at the Shibuya Diner?**

Goro sighs. Akira clearly knew his way around. There was absolutely no reason to invite him out, it seemed. _‘Help me find my way around so I don’t get lost’ My ass._

But still… even if he was clearly lying, it just meant he wanted to hang out with Goro, right? The thought alone does send a smile to his face. It’s been a long time since he hung out with someone outside of work, too.

**> Akechi: Yeah, that’s fine. See you at…?**

**> Akira: How about 5? We can meet at the cafe, and head over?**

**> Akechi: Yeah, that’s fine.**

**> Akira: Alright, It’s a date :)**

Goro’s heart almost stops. _He didn’t mean it like… date-date, right?_ He knew Akira had a tendency for flirting, but was it real, or not? It sent his mind spiralling, as his cheeks got hot. He’d just have to hang out with him more to… gauge his reactions. Get to know him.

But for now, he goes back to work. Filing reports and denying a sunburn when his coworkers ask why he’s so red in the face.

~~~

Goro pockets the gun after he’s done using it. He really didn’t want to be here long, or when people found the body. There was also the fact that vamp or human blood—it’s going to be like a signal to the other ones. He didn’t want to bite off more than he could chew, he just wanted to get this job done, wait for the cleanup crew, and go home to get ready for his outing with Akira.

His _Date_ with Akira.

_No, no._ He pesters himself, already leaving the scene. He’s not going to think about that. It’s not a date. Probably. Akira was a trickster, he was probably just… throwing it out there as a joke. They barely knew each other. Or at least—that’s what he’ll tell himself.

He gets in the shower, and feels the griminess clinging to his skin wash off like a slimy layer down the drain. He may not have physically been that dirty—it’s not like he got any vamp blood on him after all—but he did feel disgusting. 

He always did. Even if it happened to be monsters he was targeting.

When he’s done, he quickly throws on the nicest casual clothes he owns before getting on the train to Yongen-Jaya, taking a different route on the way there to avoid the mess he left behind in that alleyway.

When he opens the door with the chime of a bell, Futaba is sitting on the stool, game in hand. She grins at him once she sees him.

“Goro! How’s it been, eh?” Her eyes narrow. “A little birdy told me you’re going on a date with Akira, is it true?”

“Futaba!” Goro flushes. Damn, he forgot his sister frequented here. She probably knew Akira better than he did, and knew what the plan was for today.

“It’s not… a date.” He says. Or at least, he’s trying not to get his hopes too high. It doesn’t help that his sister is calling it that too, though.

Futaba raises an eyebrow. “You better let him know then, damn. He’s been upstairs picking an outfit for like an hour--”

“Hey Futaba! Thanks for telling me Goro was here! Please don’t continue that sentence, thanks.” Akira shouts, coming down the steps in a rush. He straightens out, and pushes Futaba in the arm, and she sways on the stool with a yelp and a giggle. They bicker for a few moments more, which gives Goro time to stare.

Stare is putting it lightly. For lack of a better word, he gawks.

Akira cleaned up nicely. Not that Goro had seen him in anything other than an apron, but wow. He was in a black blazer over a white, v-neck tee. He was wearing light jeans, and a pair of comfortable sneakers, too. 

Holy shit, was this a date?

Akira picks then to stop bullying Futaba, and coughs, clearing his throat.

“Goro, it’s good to see you. Shall we go?”

“Ah,” He blinks. “Yes, um, let’s.”

“Have a good time with my brother, Akira~ Make sure to have him back before 10, young man!” Futaba teases, giggling, and Akechi goes to reply, but--

Akira swoops in, a hand guiding at his lower back to shoo him quickly out the store, most likely to get away from Futaba faster. Goro finds he can’t speak, brain short circuiting from the hand touching him.

“Got it, Futaba.” Akira waves, snickering, and opening the door for him. Once they’ve escaped his sister’s wrath, the hands depart,and he has personal space again, allowing his brain to startup once again. He finds he liked it better before, though.

“Now,” Akira says, snapping him out of his thoughts. “Shall we?”

~~~

The park is nice. He went here when he was younger, he’s sure. Maybe a few years ago, when he first got to Tokyo. Why didn’t he come more often? The late spring breeze blows at his face with a light chill, while the fading sun warms him through the trees. There was so much wildlife in the park—and even boat rides? Did they have those, last time?

“Did you want to go for a boat ride?” Akira snorts in his ear, following his line of vision.

Goro glares at him. Pushes Akira away so he doesn’t feel hot breath on his earlobe. “No,” he snaps. “I just don’t think they had these the last time I visited.”

Akira hums. “I’ve been on one already with a friend. It’s not super exciting, but it could be nice for when it’s warmer, if you wanted to come back sometime?”

_Already a promise for a second hangout? ___

__“Ah, um. That does sound nice.” _but there’s just one thing…_ He frowns. “You know, you said you wanted a tour, but you clearly already know your way around. Why bother?”_ _

__“An excuse to hang out with you.” Akira shrugs. “You seem interesting, and I thought it’d be fun to hang out more.” he admits._ _

___So he was right about that._ “In the short span we hung out? Where all i did was patronize you and tell you what to do while you’re in Tokyo?”_ _

__“Don’t forget the part where you accused every vampire of being evil”_ _

__Goro glared. “Can you name one good vampire in our society, currently?”_ _

__Akira shrugged. “They’re hunted and prosecuted all the time with or without actual charges behind it, it seems. If there was good ones, don’t you think they’d be a little afraid or intimidated to come out in fear of being hunted?”_ _

__Goro paused. “Hunted?”_ _

__“Didn’t you see the news last night?” Akira says, gazing across the water, and back at him. “They found three vampire bodies in the back alleyways of Shibuya. I looked it up—it’s a pretty common occurrence here. _Scary, right?_ ”_ _

__He gulps, hopefully unnoticed, and plays along. “Yeah. but it’s not as if humans feel much safer, you know—there’s lots of humans dying because of vampires. They look like us, but hide among us, waiting to use _us_ as a meal. Isn’t that terrifying? Can’t you understand the worry?”_ _

__Akira hums in agreeal. “But what if those killed were only minding their own? What if they never hurt a fly? It’s unfair to promote fear around them if we don’t know much, don’t you think?”_ _

__Goro rolls his eyes. “They’d have to hurt _something._ They need blood to live, or else they go insane. Don’t make it seem like can mind their own.”_ _

__Akira makes another noise of acknowledgement, and they continue along the path. The sun was starting to go down. “True—but do we not eat hunt cattle and fish? Who says you have to kill something for blood, anyway? I feel like if people made attempts to actually live among each other peacefully, there wouldn't be as much fright around the subject. For example, a blood bank. Voila—Now they have a resource for their food, and people on the people on the street are safer.”_ _

__Goro stops in his tracks and stares at Akira. Akira continues on a few steps before looking back, blinking at him. “What?”_ _

__“You’re just--so odd.” Goro blurts. “How can you so easily take their side? It’s quite frankly, very naive. They’d go after you too. If given the chance.”_ _

__“I wasn’t really meaning to take their side,” He says. “I just think there could be solutions that benefit everyone, and simplify some problems by making a system for everyone.” He frowns. “I’m sure there’s _some_ that wouldn’t harm me, though. They’re immortal, but not unfeeling. They’re probably more like us than we think.” _ _

__Akira looks to Goro this time. “In your line of work, isn’t it easy to say they’re all bad because you’re only dealing with the ones associated with breaking the law, harming or killing others?”_ _

___How naive._ Goro clenches his fist. “My job has nothing to do with this—Why I dislike them isn’t because of my work.” he shakes his head. “They’re all the same—after the same thing—and would kill to get it, and _that’s it._ Until I meet good one, I’ll probably keep that opinion.”_ _

__“It’s not because of your work?” Akira asks. “It seems like you’re pretty dead set on hating them all. Have you ever had a conversation with one, or is just your job just to put the handcuffs on them when they come into the station? Because I don’t think you’ll ever meet a nice one that way, you know.”_ _

___No, my job is to murder them,_ he thinks bitterly, coldly. His hands are white and clenched into fists, and he’s pretty sure this date just turned into an interrogation. He knows how to end it quickly, though._ _

__“I don’t like them because _they killed my mother, Akira._ ” he says, angrily. He revels in the fight leaving Akira’s face, replaced by shock and upset. Goro continues._ _

__“You can say what you want—but to me, they’ve only been the same. They’ve all killed people to get what they want, and they don’t care about attacking civilians, no matter who they are. They don’t care that they took my mother from me when I was just a child.” He smiles bitterly. “A meal’s a meal, right?”_ _

__“Shit, Goro... I’m so sorry.” Akira says, slowly, guilt creeping onto his features. “I didn’t know.”_ _

__Goro laughs abruptly, and Akira bristles, slightly. “Of course you didn’t. How would you?” his laugh turns into something sadder, and he tries to reign the emotion back in. He likes to play like this is old news to him, but even now, talking about it kind of sucks. “I came home from school one day and she was just—gone. The lights were off, and she wasn’t at home like she usually was by that time.” He looks away from Akira, doesn’t know why he doesn’t stop talking. “I waited for hours and hours, but she didn’t come back. She warned me to come directly home from school every day though, so I just. Didn’t leave. I thought she’d be mad if I disobeyed. So instead, I sat in the dark until the police showed up.” He says, bitter laugh tacked onto the end._ _

__He feels a hand curl into his, and freezes up. He looks down, and sees Akira’s cold fingers twining with his, and he squeezes tightly. Goro meets his eyes, and Akira looks truly apologetic._ _

__“I’m really sorry. I just wanted to discuss with you—I didn’t mean for it to go that far.” That hand doesn’t leave his. “Do you want to talk about it more?”_ _

__Goro blinks. “No—I—it’s fine. It’s in the past, anyway. I just have my own reasons, okay? I don’t think me and a vampire could ever get along.” He laughs, more bitterness underlying his tone. He just wants to drop it. Akira still doesn’t let go of his hand._ _

__“Yeah, that… makes sense.” Akira frowns, a weird expression on his face, before he smiles again, charming and genuine. “Do you still want to get dinner? I’ll pay for yours. I’m sorry if I brought back bad memories.”_ _

__“It’s okay, you already apologized.” Goro says. “And that sounds…” _really nice, honestly.__ _

__He wasn’t mad that Akira was siding with the vampires. He was annoyed, yeah—He only brought his mother’s death up to end the discussion, since it was a hassle,. But he really didn’t expect Akira to try and soothe him like this. Maybe that was a normal reaction, but Goro didn’t have a lot of normal relationships in his life. Most of the people in his life didn’t even care about his problems, and just wanted to use him for their own purposes. It seemed that was all he was good for, sometimes._ _

__Unloading and having someone react with sympathy, plus the hand in his right now… it’s taking his mind off any bad feeling he’s had. He doesn’t want to let go just yet._ _

__“That sounds good.” He smiles, fleeting but hopefully sincere looking._ _

__Akira smiles, a mesmerizing, honest look in his eyes.”let’s go then.”_ _

____

~~~

They get to the dinner, and the topic of vampires is forgotten for the time being. They chat about their lives, experiences they’ve had—Some weird case files on Goro’s end, and for Akira, he had a lot of wild adventures back in his hometown it seemed.

But, Goro’s original thesis was right. Akira Kurusu was kind, a lot of a flirt, but genuine. He also learns how overly compassionate he is, and gets a taste of his brand of justice. They debate over smaller things, but they play it safe and drop the topic of vampirism for the night. 

“I have a question,” He asks, sipping on his milkshake. “When did you start calling me Goro?” He narrows his eyes. 

Akira laughs, open and happy. “You didn’t notice, detective?” he plays with a black curl that falls into his eye, twirling it in his fingers. Goro ignores the title. “I started calling you that before we even left Leblanc. You didn’t correct me, so I just went with it.”

Goro frowns. He _really_ wants to touch Akira’s hair. Is that weird? It’s probably weird. “I guess it’s only fair, if you’re letting me call you by your first name.” he settles with saying, and Akira’s smile could light up a room.

“Also, another thing--” He starts. “You knew I was Futaba’s half-brother?” he asks, before taking a bite of his burger. He didn’t seem surprised when Futaba mentioned it earlier, after all.

Akira nodded. “Yeah. Sojiro told me Futaba’s sibling was a regular, but I only knew your name.” He sighs dramatically. “Don’t know why Futaba didn’t forewarn me how good-looking you were, though. I could have used that info before you showed up.”

And instantly--Goro’s face is on fire again, and he chokes on a bite of his meal. Was Akira trying to kill him!? The bastard in question has a smile on his face, a light pink hue on his cheeks.

_Oh._

He clears his throat. “Yeah well, they didn’t exactly warn me about you either…”

Akira perks up. “Did you think I was handsome, too?” Akira grins, cheeky.

_Bewitching, in fact._ “I thought they hired a highschooler who didn’t own a comb as a part-timer”

Akira pouts, and Goro laughs. Their legs bump against each other, under the table.

~~~

“I had a lot of fun with you today.” Akira says. “Even at the park—which I hope you’re not too mad at me for, and we can hang out again, maybe?” He asks, stopping in front of the Leblanc sign to stare at Goro, as he bites his lip.

“I already told you it was fine, didn’t I?” Goro assures, truthfully. “It happened a long time ago. And you didn’t mean to be inconsiderate—you just had your own opinion.”

Akira looks relieved. “I just--I had a friend in my hometown who happened to be… a vampire. This city is still a bit new to me, and it’s a little shocking from how it was at home.”

Goro smiles. “Yeah, it’s ok.” and it is. He doesn’t really agree with it—but he respects Akira, and he takes the words to heart. “And…I do want to meet again. I had fun. Much more than I have in a long time, If I’m honest.” He feels his cheeks warm at the confession.

Akira grins. “So i’m allowed to take you on a second date?”

Goro feels himself flush. “You keep saying that—” _don’t finish that sentence, don’t ask him, don’t do it._ “—but was this a date?” He barely manages, words coming out mangled and fast. Akira stares at him with slightly wide eyes, and this is it, this is how Goro dies. _Couldn’t take a joke from his new friend, and now he’s going to feel weird about him and they’ll never see each other again—_

Akira leans in before that thought can finish, sealing their lips together. It’s an innocent enough kiss, lips just sliding against each other; Just enough to get the message across, and send warmth throughout Goro’s entire being as well. Akira’s lips aren’t warm, they’re ice cold—but soft. Really soft. It’s a shock to his system, but it feels nice all the same. His excuse to run his fingers through Akira’s hair is here, and he takes it, gliding his fingers through inky curls, appreciating the texture. Akira’s got a hand on the small of his back, and they’re so, so close—

But they have to part eventually, so they have to back up, just a little bit; Far enough only to breathe, not as they pant at each other’s lips, foreheads pressed close and staring into each other’s eyes. Goro’s entire face is on fire, and Akira’s isn’t much better, pale skin glowing a refreshing pink in Leblanc’s outdoor lightig. Goro takes this time to appreciate Akira’s soft grey eyes, staring at him, only him—half lidded with lashes like raven’s wings, fluttery and full.

“Yes,” Akira says, to a question asked long ago. “This was a date. I’d like to take you on a lot more, if you’d let me.” He practically asks.

Goro bites his lip, flushes, and nods. “Yeah—that’s. I’d like that.”

“Text me when you get home?” Akira asks.

“Of course. See you soon?” He asks, pulling himself away from Akira, and coming back to reality. He was going to miss his train if he stayed much longer, socializing in front of Leblanc (With his possible boyfriend?). And what’s worse, if he missed his train, Futaba would have the means to come out to the station and bully him about his date _in person_.

“Of course.” Akira grins. “Goodnight, Goro.”

“Goodnight, Akira.” Goro gives a small wave, and turns for the station. He can hear the chime of the door after he turns the corner, and smiles to himself. There’s butterflies in his stomach—chest—everywhere. He feels sick and giddy all at once, nauseous and overwhelmed in the best way. He feels embarrassed, but so, _so happy._ He’s touching at his lips the whole way to the station bookmarking the memory to his heart. Akira made him feel like a teenager all over again.

Had he _ever_ been this happy before?

Between police work and Shido’s work, he’d never had time for himself. Not like this. Even if Akira only wanted to be his friend, that would have been fine— But he got so much more, and didn’t know what to think. Did he even deserve this?

Despite the problems at the park, he felt so good just… talking with Akira. He clasps his hands against his cheeks, still burning. The night spring air was doing absolutely nothing for him, other than making his skin feel tingly where heat met cold.

He ends up at the station, lost in thought. There was only one other person there, and he felt himself relax into the seat, waiting for the train to arrive. 

Usually, though, when he’s at his happiest, he has to pay retribution of some sort. Now wasn’t any different, it seemed.

His pleasant thoughts are interrupted by a pair of shoes coming into view, and he looks up from the tiled station floor to who approached him, freezing instantly.

An unfamiliar man in his mid-thirties, fists clenched so hard at his own sides he might cut himself on his nails. The only thing he recognizes fast enough is the glaring, boiling gold eyes that stare at him full of hatred. He has no time to think—he reaches for his briefcase, to get his gun.

Only...It wasn’t there.

It was at the shop, where he left it _before his date._

The butterflies in his stomach pop like bubbles, leaving him hollow. The cold breeze of spring that did nothing for him moments ago—couldn’t even cool his achingly hot cheeks—now feels like a blizzard, chilling him to the core. The vampire doesn’t hesitate in the slightest, not taking his time to enact probable revenge for one of Goro’s crimes. 

He throws Goro across the station, and he lands badly after hitting the wall. It doesn’t do a dent in the subway structure, but it does copious amounts of damage to his spine and head, his brain feeling like it was swimming in something thick. Probably blood. He doesn’t have time to get up fast enough before the vampire treads closer, kicking him down before stepping on his leg with super strength, making him cry out. 

“How does _that_ feel?” The vampire grits out hollowly, hissing. “You did so much worse to one of my friends—You’ll pay for it dearly. _Slowly, too._ ”

_So it was revenge._ He grits his teeth and turns to his attacker, only to be punched across the side of the jaw, back into the concrete of the station floor.

Before he can even make another noise, he’s being pulled up, arms held together and preventing him from struggle as hot breath on the side of his throat, and his blood freezes in his veins, eyes wide.

_No._

_No, no, no, no._

“I never thought I’d get a chance like this—” The vampire chuckles. “To kill the one who’s been killing all my friends, forcing us to hide from the eyes of the public. It’s like a gift has been dropped right in front of me—both a meal for the night, and a chance to avenge those you’ve killed.” He laughs darkly as Akechi struggles, thrashing, punching, trying anything to get himself free. But he’s at a disadvantage, and he’s never killed without a gun before. Panic clouds his vision.

“I never saw your face, but I can smell the vampire blood on you, you know. The scent of _death._ ” He hisses and leans into his neck. Akechi feels disgust roll through him in a wave. “Well, doesn’t matter now I suppose. You’ll never kill us again.”

And then, pain blooms across his shoulders and neck, a stabbing pain biting through his skin and melting into his bones. He goes limp—there’s not much else he can do, with his bones feeling like they’re frozen. 

It’s another interesting thing about vampires. Like with snakes, injecting venom into their prey before they chow down. Once a vampire has you by the neck, it’s over. Once the teeth come into contact with your blood, you freeze up and become motionless. Not much science behind it that he knows of, but it’s like the teeth send shock through the whole body for a lasting time. 

He’s alive, but he can’t _move._

His vision tinges black on the edges, head feeling heavy as his blood leaves him. He feels weak, cold, and definitely near death His struggle lessens the more it goes on, and the pain doesn’t seem to fade. But then again, it’s not like this vampire was trying to be gentle with him.

The vampire pulls back, ripping his teeth out of Akechi’s neck with no finesse, as if to prove his point. Akechi groans, and slumps onto the station floor as the vampire drops him again. He’s unable to move.

He can hear the oncoming train in the distance.

As the world feels cloudier and shakier, he’s lifted by the front of his vest by the vampire, the only thing he can clearly see being those gold, blinding eyes. Far too bright for his lightheadedness, which seemed to consume him now. 

“Do you regret it at all? What you’ve done?” The vampire hisses. Akechi can’t answer.

_I’m going to die,_ He thinks. _Body disposed of in front of a moving train, I’m going to die and this vampire will walk away like nothing happened._

And before the vampire does anything, he’s dropped onto the concrete again, his knees taking the brunt of it. His vision is wobbly, and he hears screaming.... Then silence.

_What was happening?_

He blinks the fogginess away as someone approaches, and tries to life his head despite it hurting like a stab wound with every move. He would laugh, if he wasn’t in so much pain. Taken out by a vampire the second he’s distracted by a boy and lets his guard down for once... sounds about right. 

The footfalls stop in a rush beside him, until the person is crouched, and he turns as best as he can to look at who his killer will be.

It’s not the vampire from before.

He’s greeted with black, inky curls and a familiar, worried expression. Thick glasses resting in front of strange, gold eyes. A hand curls at his cheek, ice cold. _Akira._

“Akira…?” he mutters, a whisper. It’s the most he can manage, and even that comes out cracked and broken.

The world fades, and he sinks.


	2. Chapter 2

When Goro wakes up, he feels the throbbing pain in his head before he’s even opened his eyes. 

It only gets worse when he’s lucid enough to finally look around, the harsh sunlight coming in through the window, making even the ceiling too painful to look at. Then the sight of Futaba is flooding his vision, worry eminent in her shocked eyes, but a pleased smile pulling at her lips nonetheless.

“Akira! He’s awake!” she calls, turning away. Akechi winces at the sound.

“Can you… not yell?” he asks, voice coming out embarrassingly fizzled and weak.

Futaba turns to him, long red hair briefly smacking him in the cheeks because of her proximity. “I’m sorry!” She says, stage whispering in horror—but even that hurts his brain. “You’ve been out for a day and a half, we’ve been so worried and—”

She starts rambling all too quickly for him, but it’s Akira’s voice that catches his attention through his murky attention span.

“He’s up?” Goro hears, and listens as Akira come into the room, treading across squeaky boards rather quickly.

Boards…? _Ah._

“Did you bring me to Leblanc?” He asks. Tries to sit up as well, but strong arms are pushing him back down before he can really try, leaving him feeling more disoriented. Why couldn’t he sit up?

“What… happened?” He asks, looking over to Akira, who wore relief so clearly as he grabbed Goro’s hands. Him and Futaba had swapped places, Futaba now on the farther chair near the end of the bed, and Akira at his side. He couldn’t really process much, but he feels like if he was more awake he could appreciate the hand-holding properly.

“You were attacked at the station,” Akira says slowly, staring at Goro, clearly worried. “You were… Bit by a vampire. When I found you, you were almost dead. You’re in Leblanc now—safe from any harm.” Akira finishes off, and Goro is thankful for the slow and to-the-point explanation he needed to hear.

Goro processed this, searching Akira’s eyes, and deciphering the serious look on his face. Sighs deeply, eyes closed. “Did they turn me.” He asks, point blank.

Akira doesn’t leave him hanging. He shakes his head, hands squeezing Goro’s tighter. “No! _No._ He didn’t—he just drank from you.” Those hands clench painfully around his. Goro notices the fake smile settled on Akira’s lips, one trying to promote ease. Goro sighs shakily in obvious relief, relaxing into the pillows as he squeezes Akira’s hand back.

It was one thing for a vampire to drink his blood—he hated the idea of it, and it disgusted him. He’d probably have a purple, mottling scar on his neck from the incident for the rest of his life, but well—It wasn’t the same as turning him. Turning would be an even more permanent problem, as he wouldn’t die. As long as he hadn’t been forced to drink any vampire blood, it was fine.

“Did he get away?” A nod from Futaba.

“When Akira went to return your briefcase to you, he tried to run, but Akira gave the police a description already while you were knocked out...” she said, eyes darting away from Goro’s searching ones.

“So he was arrested?” Goro presses, slowly.

“Not yet, but I don’t think he’ll be an issue ” Akira said, soothingly. A little too ready. A little too.... _certain._ Akira’s hand tenderly squeezes his, which distracts him from the odd behaviour momentarily. “I’m just glad I got there in time.”

“You stopped him, all on your own?” Goro narrows his eyes. “No offense, but I find it odd a vampire would stop attacking upon your arrival, unless you had a weapon.”

Futaba looks nervous. Goro doesn’t miss this. “Is it so uncommon?” Akira cuts in breezily. “They don’t want to be caught, right? They only attack when the victim is alone, anyway.” 

Goro’s eyes press into his. “I guess that’s true, but… I thought…” pain sears at his head, and he winces, trying to remember things clearer. He just has this weird feeling…

_Wait._

Warnings flickering on in the back of his mind. He pulls his hand away from Akira, and tries his hardest to ignore the hurt frown he gets in response.

“You…” He starts, squinting at Akira. “I... think I saw you, before I passed out.” He says, memories coming back. “You had…” _Don’t say it._ The images flash before his eyes, memories coming back in blurry shots. “You had _gold_ eyes, Akira.”

He doesn’t miss the way Futaba tenses up. She looks at Akira. _Confused? Scared? Concerned?_ He can’t really tell. The silence is thick, for only a moment. Akira blinks at him, grey eyes in shock before he leans into Goro’s personal space, pressing a kiss to his forehead. Goro’s shoulders tense up, heat flushing across his cheeks. Futaba gasps and covers her eyes.

“I think that might have been a hallucination.” Akira comforts. “By the time I found you, you were… pretty out of it, Goro.” He’s frowning sympathetically again. _No, don’t look at me like that._ “You had lost so much blood, it was…” He trails off, shaking his head and smiling again. “It’s nothing. But I think you just mistook me for the vampire who attacked you. You passed out right as I approached you, after all.”

“He’s right,” Futaba nods, peeling her hands away from her face, considering it safe to come out now. “You were in pretty bad shape. With how much adrenaline was in your system, and being afraid and so close to death, you probably saw him as a threat as he approached. Probably a more science-y explanation for it out there, but Takemi said you would be disoriented from the attack, so it makes sense.”

_I wasn’t afraid,_ Goro wants to spit.

He opens his mouth, closes it, and decides against fighting right now. “You… might be right.” He says, but he feels like his body language gives off a different feeling, tension winding up in his shoulders and gut tightly. He made the atmosphere awkward, and the smile Akira and Futaba both give him doesn’t reach their eyes.

Akira is quick to jump to humor for relaxing the mood. “Quick question—Did I look good with gold eyes, though?” He bats his lashes again, and Goro’s lip twists, knowing where this is going. “I’m not against getting gold contacts if you’re into it, you know.”

“...You wish.” Goro scoffs, and Akira laughs, sounding more genuine.

He knows they were probably right. _Akira couldn’t be a vampire, right? Futaba would tell me if she suspected something or felt nervous, right?_ She was keen on detail, just as he was. Akira might have cold skin, but he was kind. His eyes were gray. He’d also eaten food at the diner with him, like a regular human.

He tries to clear his head of these thoughts. He was probably too drugged up for proper analysis, and it’s unlikely the visions he had when he was next to death were perfect and clear, anyway. Hallucination wasn’t… totally out of the realm of possibility.

So why did he feel hesitant?

Akira stands up. “I’m going to get you some hot food and a drink, okay? I’ll be right back. Any preferences for drink?”

Until the prospect of food was mentioned, Goro hadn’t realized how hungry he was. _Wow._ “Tea, if you could, please…”

“Sure.” Akira says, smiling softly at him, making those butterflies reappear to make him nauseas once again. Akira leaves the room. 

Only a moment goes by in relative silence before Futaba steals the chair Akira had been sitting on, now very close at Goro’s side.

“Does everything hurt really bad?” She asks with a frown. “I helped Akira change your bandages on your neck this morning; it’s already healing pretty well, but the bruises on your legs are something else. I don’t think walking will be fun for a while.” 

Goro can feel the dull throb in his right calf, just daring him to try and move it. He sighs. He doesn’t even want to move his head too much--the bite marks don’t feel as bad as he expected, but the pull of the punctured skin rubbing against bandage doesn’t exactly tickle. It mostly just stings and itches, if he’s honest with himself. Could be worse. “Yeah,” He says in reply, “It’ll be fine in no time though.”

Futaba frowns, seemingly not liking that answer. “Your right leg was almost broken, though. Huh.” She waves her hand at him, moving on. “Anyway, you ended up lucky. But take it easy for a while regardless, even if you do have a freakishly high pain tolerance. Sojiro is making you stay here for a few days, just until you recover enough to walk and stuff again.”

There’s another pregnant pause, before futaba starts talking again, hands tightening on the base of the chair. The clock ticks echo throughout the room.

“You know…” she starts, sullenly. She says this into her knees, pulled up to her chest on the chair. “Akira was in real bad shape because of what happened. He didn’t sleep last night at all, and he wouldn’t leave your side, even when I tried to drag him down for some food, or like, a nap. I even promised to watch you myself so he would relax!”

“He probably didn’t sleep because I was in his bed,” He retorts, attempting to lighten the mood. Doesn’t work—Futaba only frowns at him.

“Listen to me, okay? Don’t be cold to him or anything. He was really, really worried about you. When he carried you here, he was so messed up about it , freaking out like i’d never seen him before.” She says. “He kept panicking, thinking you wouldn’t wake up...”

Akechi takes this all in. _Why is she telling me this? Why would I act cold with Akira?_ He asks her as much. 

She raises an eyebrow. “I just mean, don’t throw anymore accusations around the second you wake up, ‘kay?. I know you like to pick apart details piece by piece, but whatever you saw—It wasn’t real. And I don’t think you should ignore him right now, or bring up silly things that might hurt his feelings. I saw how you didn’t look like you believed him, but just give him the benefit of the doubt this time.” She smiles again. “I know I said Sojiro was the one to order you to stay, but Akira was really the one to push it. Sojiro just gave the final word.” She snorts. “Just let him take care of you. He’s a really great and genuine guy, okay? Trust me on this.”

And Goro truly does calm at her words. Of course, his sister would know the signs of his restlessness.

“Thanks, Futaba.” He laughs, before it hurts his throat and lungs too much. “I’ll try to relax, but I’m not very good at putting something down once I think I have a theory.” he shakes his head. _It’s dumb, let it go._ “But I believe you. And…” he trails off, looking toward the stairs. He feels meek all of a sudden. “Was he _really_ worried?” 

Futaba gives him a shit-eating grin. “ _Totally_ worried. I was too, by the way—but now that you woke up and got some color back in your skin, I’m relieved.” She hums. “Oh, but yeah, Akira wasn’t doing so hot. Lost his composure as much as he could, I think. He was hesitant to let anyone touch you—including the doctor—but settled for just not leaving your side for more than a minute at a time for about thirty-six hours.” She giggles. “It’s pretty cute. You’ve got him wrapped around your finger already, huh?”

Goro feels himself flush. _It was… probably the other way around._ “Since when do _you_ care so much about my love life?”

She snickers. “Since you started having one. and seeing as it’s between my brother and my best friend, I need to stay involved, too. A sister’s gotta know these things.” 

Goro sighs. He needs a change of subject. “So wait—there was a doctor? I was wondering why you brought me to Leblanc instead of the hospital.” He also remembers the name ‘Takemi’ being brought up earlier.

Futaba nods. “Akira figured you probably wouldn’t want the attention and strangers visiting you after something like that. He has a doctor friend, so he just called her here and she patched you up to be more discreet.” She smirks. “Between you and me, I mostly think it’s because he didn’t want to be told to leave because of visiting hours, though. It’s kinda cute.”

Goro feels himself flush. Akira takes this moment to come back up the stairs, and Futaba scrambles off the seat, saluting them. “I’m going to take my leave! Have fun you two!” She smirks, and waggles her brows at Akira and him. “Don’t get up to anything funny while I’m gone, okay?”

“What would we get up to while he’s bedridden like this?” Akira asks, snorting. “Bye, Futaba.”

She scampers down the stairs, and Akira joins him once again at his seat beside Goro. The smell of hot curry floods up to his nose, and he feels his stomach grumble. Akira laughs when he gets embarrassed about it, but helps him sit up as painless as he can, hands gentle and soft while holding him up, before stuffing pillows behind him comfortably, and offers they watch a movie together as he finishes eating.

Akira eventually comes up onto the bed to get closer, and they lean against each other, sitting side by side on the bed clearly made for one, and Akira lets him lean into his shoulder; Goro feels himself get tired, breathing in the smell of Akira’s cologne that smells like sandalwood and pushing his nose further into his shoulder. Even if he was in a lot of pain, this was probably the best way to go about it, as far as distraction goes. 

As Akira slowly winds their fingers together and Goro falls back to sleep, he can only find soothing thoughts overcoming his earlier worries. His fingers were cold as always, but it felt nice on his overheated hands. He liked the temperature fluctuation.

Akira had to be human. There was just no way someone like this was a vampire.

~

Akira comes down the steps quietly, but the boards still groaned and wheezed fairly loudly under his feet. Futaba sits at the counter, looking peeved, and Sojiro isn’t much different—arms crossed behind the bar as he taps his shoes in annoyance.

“What were you thinking!” Futaba says loudly. Akira holds a finger up to his mouth. 

“Gor— _Akechi_ just fell asleep. Let’s try not to wake him while we discuss this, okay?” Futaba raises a brow at the correction. Akira doesn’t know how to explain feeling odd using his first name in front of only his family, though, so he moves on from that.

Sojiro paces behind the bar looking ticked, but still pushes a hot cup of coffee Akira’s way, urging him to sit down and drink. He does as prompted, and takes a sip of the burning liquid while he’s at it. The taste is light, barely there. He doesn’t even mind the fact it’s scalding. It’s one con to the whole vampire thing—even if he eats human food, not only is it not filling, it doesn’t taste like anything. The high or low temperatures didn’t hurt or give him brain freeze, either. He could still barely feel it, though. 

Basically, anything he’d like to consume has little effect on his body, and was pretty much useless anyway in terms of providing energy. The only thing he needed to consume was blood. 

He still liked to pretend, sometimes.

Futaba ignores him. “No—You didn’t tell me he saw your eyes, Akira! He barely believed me when I tried to cover for you. You’re _soooo_ lucky I have his sibling trust. I’m still not sure if he fully believed me anyway, though.”

He shrugs, not knowing much at all what to say. “I didn’t exactly have a mirror at the time. And I didn’t think he was there enough to see anything noteworthy. It was dark, too.”

Sojiro and Futaba groan.

“Well. We’re here now, and that’s what matters. Proceeding with extra caution from now on, okay?” A nod from Akira. Futaba inhales. “Okay! So yesterday we postponed the topic since we didn’t even know if he was going to live or not—but what do we do now?

“I knew he was acting suspicious lately, but this… I didn’t think he was responsible for the dead vampires being found all over Tokyo... I mean, it might not all be him, but he’s definitely in the line of work for hunting.” She tugs at her hair in frustration. “Gah! How did he get wrapped up in something like this?!”

“Are you guys absolutely sure he committed those crimes?” Sojiro asks sternly. “It’s a strong accusation.”

Futaba nods grimly, not meeting sojiro’s eyes. He looks to Akira in support—his last hope to prove her wrong, but he also nods, morose.

“It’s true.” Akira says. “Futaba told me about a few suspicious conversations she heard him have on the phone when he didn’t know she was there a while back. And... there’s also the first time I met Akechi.” He reports. “I could smell vampire blood on him from when he walked in. When i convinced Akechi to come out with me the other night, I got him outside quickly before he could realize he left his briefcase, as Futaba wanted. She checked his briefcase, as you know.” He shrugs, helpless. “We found that handgun. I think it had been used recently, too. I could tell.”

Sojiro looked unsure what to say, crossed arms unfolding at his sides. His expression rang as sad, too. Akira doesn’t know if Sojiro raised him at any point, but he’s at least sure Sojiro feels for Akechi, and worries about him like any other parent.

“So Akechi really—?”

“This is awful!” Futaba cries, cutting Sojiro off. “I just wanted to use you to help me check my theory undetected; I didn’t want to be right! I hoped him being sketchy was just me overthinking since he hasn’t seemed himself, lately, and now he’s almost died, and I’m mad at him, too… I…I hate this.” She throws her head onto the tabletop in frustration.

Akira sighs. This is what he didn’t want to happen—He knew it was enough trouble to ask someone to host a vampire and keep him safe until the problem died down in his hometown, but it was worse when he learned Sojiro had a daughter. _Family_ he had to protect, too. He learned of the half brother later on, which didn’t soothe him much either, but he wished to avoid coming between them all like this. He didn’t want his existence here to _pull apart_ a family.

Had Futaba not met Akira, would she be so hurt by Akechi’s actions? With the way things are nowadays, the job could almost be seen as noble, to some populace. She wouldn’t be feeling so torn between them both if she’d had never thought kindly of Akira’s kind since meeting him. Ignorance is bliss and all that.

For now, he pushes these feelings aside. 

Attempting to placate Futaba with the fact her brother might have seen it as heroic, or maybe even done it for her sake… that would undoubtedly make her mad. From the short time he’s known her, he knew Futaba wasn’t very good at sitting in her own despair; she needed something to do to take her mind off the problem. Luckily, he’s got a few solutions on hand.

“I think,” Akira says patiently. “We should get more information before we do anything drastic. Let’s not confront him or get mad just yet. Have some faith in him—he’s still your brother, Futaba.” He pats her head, knowing she responds well to that, at least. He just hopes she takes to this attempt at comforting her, and realizes he wasn’t going to hate her for wanting to try and see it her brother’s way, or at least know Akira wanted her to be on good terms with Akechi, and not feel conflicted about it for his sake. He continues. “This isn’t the best situation, and I won’t give him excuses, but…” He trails off, thinking back to his and Goro’s conversation in the park. “I don’t think he’s doing it for love of murder, or anything. He truly doesn’t think we’re even in the same mindset as him. Then, there’s also the thing with his mom. It’d be hard to see a vampire the same way you do after what he’s been through.

“I propose we try and change his heart on the matter.” He caps off. “You had a plan in the worst case scenario, yes?”

“...Yes.” Futaba says eventually. “I wanted to get a bug onto his phone and see who his employer is. I tried his bank account already while he was out yesterday, and vast amounts of money had been added to his account on random dates without pattern, but the sender is always different, and always ends up being an untraceable account.” Sojiro takes their cups silently, and listens in as he gives them refills before pushing their cups back to them. Akira notices fondly that Futaba’s was filled with orange juice, rather than coffee that would just keep her up all night. 

“If we know more about what’s going on with him… maybe we might be able to convince him out of doing it anymore, if he thinks of them like you say, Akira.” She furrows her brow. “The one problem is… I’d need you to hang out with him a few more times. Right now, you’ve only known each other a few days. If he found out you were a vampire now, he might try and hurt you, thinking it’s all an act. If we want him to think maybe vampires can be genuine, you’ll need to be by his side, just a little longer. Oh! And you’ll need to distract him for the next few days of his recovery, so I can make a virus app to record his calls that i can install without him knowing.” Futaba looks up at him through her bangs like she was asking a lot, worry eminent on her face. “Do you… think you’ll be okay with that?”

Akira finishes a long sip of coffee. “I have no problems with it.” He shrugs.

Futaba groans. “You answered that….way too fast.” she places her hands over her face, grinding the heels of her palms into her eyes. Even Sojiro looks like he’s going to grow another head soon.

Akira shrugs The mood has definitely changed—not a bad time to broadcast his opinion on the whole thing. “What can I say? I like him a lot. I wasn’t lying when I told him that.”

“...Now that you mention it, you were pretty eager to save him, even after seeing the gun.” She groans. “You have no sense of danger! We just talked about how he might have committed several murders to your kind, and you’re just… Okay with it?! I told you the day you started working in the cafe— _‘oh, if you happen to meet my brother, Goro Akechi? Stay distant and uninvolved with him as you can.’_ ” She frowns. “What part of _‘distant and uninvolved’_ did you not take away from that conversation?!”

Akira didn’t want to voice his opinions on the murder issue just yet. It was wrong, obviously, but... he’s pretty sure Akechi is a good person, too. It’s the person he saw between cracks in a mask and obvious fake politeness. Someone he wants to help understand him. He just _likes_ him, and it’s hard. 

“Maybe I like a bit of danger.” Akira jokes, feeling a smile coming on, and knows it’s really not the time. “You never told me your brother was that handsome, either—so this is kind of on you too, Futaba.”

Sojiro rubs at his head. “I really don’t think I want to hear this.”

The conversation has taken a total 180 degree turn, into territory Sojiro really doesn’t want to tread. He goes ignored. 

“Yeah, okay?” Futaba squints. “He’s good-looking and your age, sure. But Akira, let me tell you, there is at least a thousand single boys just in Shibuya square alone that you could’ve had an interest in.” She punches him in the arm. “You could smell the vampire blood on him the moment you came in too, so don’t pretend you didn’t know there was something off about this before you planned a date!”

Akira rubs at the spot with his free hand. “Can’t really deny that claim. But to be fair, he didn’t announce his name when he walked in the door. I was interested in him anyway, and I wasn’t going to back off afterward.”

Futaba deadpans at him. “So you were hooked with, what, the _two words_ he said to you after ordering coffee?”

Akira doesn’t have a comeback for that one. 

Futaba groans. “And you call me weird. Ugh. You’re kind of odd, I get it, but even after we confirmed everything, I don’t know why you’re still so—” she pauses, mid-rant, and turns sharply, eyes honing in on him. “Wait. Is this another weird vampire thing?”

Akira fiddles with the tips of his hair. “...Possibly.”

“Oh my Gosh it _is!_ Is it because like, you got a whiff of his blood or something, and now you can’t bear to leave him alone? Like Some badly written romantic supernatural phenomena, maybe?”

“I wonder…”

Sojiro cuts through the conversation. “Okay, I _definitely_ don’t need to hear this. And neither do you.” He says pointedly at Futaba, grabbing his coat. “Finish your drink, Futaba. We’re going home for the night. Akira, I expect you to lock up the store, got it?.” Akira nods, and Sojiro doesn’t hesitate to make a clear escape through the front door, knowing Futaba would trail behind in a moment's’ time.

She pouts and finds her coat, giving him a quick hug and waving goodbye to Akira for the night, before tearing through the door, muttering to Sojiro about how it was too early to go to bed. Akira smiles for a moment, letting the bell ring as the door fully closes, listening to fading voices until it’s just him standing alone in the midst of the shop. 

When he sits down, his mind is swirling. 

Obsessing over Goro… No, it wasn’t a weird vampire thing. If it was, it was nothing romantic or cliche like what Futaba said. If it came from vampire instincts at all, it was probably something darker, like being possessive over his meal. But he didn’t see Goro like that. 

He didn’t plan on drinking from somebody ever again, after all. _Not directly, anyway._

Which makes it worse, because that means it probably just comes down to him being hopeless and gay, and seeing Goro being attacked genuinely angered him to the point of using his overbearing strength that came with being a vampire—which hadn’t occurred in a long time. He was so used to pretending to be human that the sudden use of his strength left him feeling worn out, after it all. Unfortunately, it’s not like sleep or anything that could help humans would give him energy there. 

He clenches his fingers tightly around the coffee cup, remembering the day before.

~

The date had just ended, but the fluttery feelings in his chest from Moment’s ago with Goro had faded.

“Do you think there’s a chance we’re horribly, horribly wrong about this?” Futaba asks him, holding the gun, voice small.

“Put it back—he’ll know we did something if he finds it too out of place.” Akira suggests, not unkindly. He also just doesn’t want her playing with a gun for too long. He doesn’t know how to appease her on the situation either, but he tries his best. “I mean, there’s a chance. But I don’t know why he would reek so heavily of vampire blood then, Futaba…” He doesn’t want to say it, but if the gun wasn’t used for that, and he just smelled like vampire blood for some reason, the options he’s left with aren’t so great either. And those thoughts wouldn’t connect with the recently used gun, so he doesn’t even ponder it for long. 

The gun hidden under files in the briefcase, plus the reeking, mottled scent of vampire blood on his person and suspicious phone calls… it doesn’t seem good.

Futaba looks heartbroken at his assessment. “I see. So then, what can we do from here?” 

“I think—” And then his thoughts cut off and tangle into blurs, the scent of blood wafting to his nose from somewhere. Cloying, fresh, and _too close by._ He hasn’t had this problem in a while, but he hates the fact that his brain can go straight back to vicious instincts when someone gets a papercut within a five mile radius.

But this… he thinks whoever they are might be bleeding quite a bit. It’s different, the more blood there is. He can ignore someone with a papercut, but this… 

And then it clicks, as his eyes trail over the open silver briefcase, harmlessly sitting in Futaba’s lap. 

_Goro._

It had to be him— _and he didn’t have his gun._

“Whoa,” Futaba whispers, awed. “Akira, are you okay? Your eyes are gold right now!” and then Akira is standing up, startling her enough to make her propel back into her chair with a squeak.

“I have to go.” Akira says robotically, turning around and running through the front door of Leblanc, Futaba calling after him. 

The otherwise cluttered and small backstreets become a cinch to run through, his feet practically propelling him towards the station, where the smell floods out from. He doesn’t know for certain, but it’s not like many others would be out this time of night, and of course Akira didn’t think this far ahead, sending Akechi out smelling like that into the night, alone. He was so used to the smell of dead vampire blood and light hints of cinnamon on the boy that he’d forgotten he probably smells like a stink bomb to other vampires. 

And because of Akira being careless, he couldn’t defend himself. 

When he turns the corner and basically flies down the stairs, his worries are confirmed, and a white hot rage sinks into his gut as he sees pale brown hair flayed outwards on the pavement, soaked with blood—a vampire then picking him up by the neck, whispering threats into his ashen face as he strangled him, hands clenching tighter around his throat. Akechi’s hands dangle at his sides, trying to fight but outmatched by a longshot.

Akira doesn’t even remember moving; Suddenly the vampire is writhing in pain under him, screaming as Akira rips his own claws through the man's’ arm with his grip, and beating his face to a pulp. He gets a thrill from it, getting revenge for Akechi’s sake. He can’t control it, but He can feel the adrenaline flood through his veins—and it feels good. He can’t even feel dirty or awful about these primal instincts when it’s used toward a vampire like this—defending someone he cared about while he was at it. Vampires like this? They shouldn’t be walking the streets. These were the kind that hurt people. They shouldn't be alive. He wouldn’t, _not for what he did to Akechi—_

_No, no, no. Stop it._

He’d be no better, if he did that.

He holds his sharp talon like nails to the vampire’s throat, watching him quiver and bumble about nonsense in fear for his life.

Akira leans in. “I’m giving you a chance,” He whispers, soft as birds feathers, threats dripping off every syllable. “Forget about that hunter. Don’t approach him ever again, if you value your life.” He demands. “If you so much as look his way as you leave, I won’t hesitate to kill you—got it?” He presses his sharp nails into his neck, just barely biting at the sensitive skin. The man nods his head several times, already fumbling to pick himself up and scamper off as Akira backs away. 

“I won’t,” The vampire promises shakily, tripping on syllables. “It won’t happen again. I didn’t know he had a watchdog from on our side—Ha!” He sounds in disbelief. “What a joke.” Akira growls, and the vampire puts his hands up and surrender before scrambling away, black blood dripping onto the platform from his wounds as he leapt onto the tracks, disappearing in a hurry. 

Akira hears a faint groan from behind and approaches Akechi, curled up and bloody, the visible pale skin of his outstretched arms and cheek already starting to bruise. His head was bleeding from somewhere, as his hair mopped up the liquid in some spots. It also might have been from his shoulder, as his coat was now red like deep wine near the shoulder and neck seams. Akira could just barely see the injury, and it didn’t look like a clean puncture wound. It looks like the skin was torn harshly around the area, as if he fought with a bear. Akira clenches his fists until they’re white. 

_I should have killed that man after all._

He doesn’t drown in his bitterness for long, as Akechi groans. He needed medical attention.

Akira approaches, and watches Goro tilt his face to the side, one red eye exposed under a tangle of hair. He looks out of it, and while trying to pull himself up, he looked so unsure. Disoriented. _Scared._

“Akira?” he whispers airily, sending a pang through Akira’s chest. Then his eyes roll back, and he sags motionless against the tile.

He goes to pick Akechi up, but it’s hard. He tries to be gentle, but it’s much easier said than done. He has the strength to hold Akechi’s weight, but the blood is practically overcoming all his senses at this point, and he freezes on the spot, hands curling around Akechi tightly, feeling too much at once. Contradicting feelings and a need to eat.

He wanted to protect Akechi, but his brain wanted otherwise. The thought of fresh blood chants louder in his head than he’d like. _No._ No, he wouldn’t drink from anyone again. _Not ever since…_

He tries to shake it off, but he only gets so far without the air pulling more of it right into his nose, slowly driving him insane in the most literal sense. It feels like the world was fogging up for him too, now, like blood filling his vision and the need for blood filling him to the brim. Maybe there was a halfway point, for something like this. _He could clean the blood off Akechi’s wounds without touching teeth to skin, right? Just to try it…_

“Akira!” Futaba yells from the station steps, causing him to snap his head up. Sojiro was with her now, eyes like dinner plates and hand holding a phone, looking ghostly white while staring at him.

He probably looked manic. He’s instantly disgusted with himself. 

“We have to go quickly.” Akira bites his tongue. “I can’t hold him for long like this—I cant—” He cuts himself off. How do you explain that even though you weren’t the one who attacked the guy, you might still be an issue if you stick around him and his fresh injuries too long?

Sojiro snaps out of it fastest, shooing a gawking Futaba out of the station while dialing the clinic, Hand on Akira’s back as he led the two blood covered teenagers and his daughter through the alleys back to safety.

~

Akira comes back from the memory as Morgana jumps onto his legs, startling him with loud purring and rubbing his head against Akira’s hand, making the now cold coffee almost spill over onto the table. He rubs the black cats’ head, smiling at the attempt at what he assumes was to make him feel better. Morgana was a smart cat.

He locks up Leblanc and turns off the lights, climbing up the stairs and watching Morgana pass him, jumping onto the bed and walking in circles before settling into the sheets, kneading his claws into the thick fleece blanket right beside Akechi.

Akira watches on in amusement before settling on watching Goro; He looked almost like an angel, bathed in blue moonlight just right, hair falling softly into his eyes and mouth parted slightly. Akira watches his chest rise and fall for a while, just for reassurance, before clambering onto the couch and trying his best at sleep.

~

It’s been three days in Leblanc’s attic, and Akechi is practically livid. Mostly at Akira.

The first day he adored the caring treatment, but now? He needed to at least get out of bed, and Akira wasn’t letting him.

This treatment—It’s something he would have liked when he was younger, quite a bit. He Wishes his mother had cared enough to do something like this for him all those years ago, before she had died.

Akira was being a pest, and he thinks he might be doing it for the sake of pissing Akechi off at this point, since he was so damn smiley about the whole thing. Touches too gentle, words too laced with sugar and syrupy sweet. It’s like he enjoyed the fact Akechi was out of commission a little _too_ much.

Akira had stolen his phone his second day there with a pout and tisk as he held it out of reach, must to Goro’s dismay. Akira was so childish. _‘Doctor Takemi said no more electronics than necessary—I had to beg her to let me watch a few movies with you.’_ He says softly, like he actually feels bad, but he still holds it far away, out of snatching range, unrelenting to Goro’s struggle. _‘So until you’re rested more—you’re lucky you didn’t get a concussion or die from that smack on the subway wall—you can’t look at screens too much. Sorry, Goro.’_ and that was that. He didn’t fail to mention he called the station to tell him he wouldn’t be working for a while, either.

Then there was the incident with the medicine, where he’d hold his hand and squeeze lightly as Goro swallowed bitter pills, before helping him lie down and practically forcing a nap upon him. Then again with the food, where he wouldn’t let Goro have anything but what the doctor recommended, even though he felt absolutely golden without the diet plan. He just wanted pancakes and tea—which Akira seemed to find amusing, had the audacity to even giggle at him for it, but still said no before making him eat a brothy vegetable soup that was warm and well-made, but not really to his tastes.

Akira says all these things with the softest smiles and feathlight touches, and before Goro could even try to get angry or protest at any of these events, he’d pat his head, say something like _“Futaba likes this when she’s something good—do you like it, too?”_ or lay a kiss on his cheek, or something equally domestic, effectively shutting him down. He hated that it _worked_ most of all.

And deep down, he knows he doesn’t hate this at all—he secretly likes it; To be doted on, all Akira’s attention on him. Akira staying by his side and attending to his every need. He wished it were that easy. 

_But._

There was the fact Shido would be getting antsy, and now that he’s been cut off from his phone, unless he could successfully manage a recovery sneak attack on Akira with a partially scrambled brain and thick bandaging all over his body, he might be in trouble soon.

He didn’t want Shido to come looking for him. He didn’t want Shido to find him, injured and clearly useless. Or worse, have him find Futaba. Sojiro. _Akira._

The point was, he didnt want Shido to send someone his way to finish the job because of his lack of responding. Of all the ways to go, he’d prefer to avoid one like that—at least for something a bit more noble. 

So he demands his phone back, the fourth day at Leblanc. 

“I don’t know,” Akira hums, squinting. “You still look pale, and you could barely even make it to the bathroom that last time yesterday without tripping.”

“Akira,” Goro Sighs, hand pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’m fine—I need to go back to work, or I might end up going Stir crazy. I promise you, if I need any help, I can call you.”

Akira smirks. “Stir crazy, huh?” he snorts. “I don’t think this is that bad, though. I could go to work, come home after a long day, you welcome me back, I say, _‘Honey, I’m home,’_ and you’re drinking coffee and making pancakes for our dinner—”

Goro turns around and grabs one of the many pillows behind him, swinging forward and hitting Akira in the face with it, ignoring the laughter flooding from underneath. “ _Shut up_ about the pancakes already!”

Akira stops trying to remove the pillow from his face, and instead curls his hands around Goro’s, effective in getting him to loosen his grip. “But Honey,” Akira says, smug face peeking from above the pillow, “What’s wrong? I thought pancakes were your favorite?”

Goro feels himself flush even worse. “I swear, you’re absolutely unbearable to be around sometimes, you know that?”

Akira puts the stolen pillow back behind Goro, patting it and fluffing it up. “It’s ok, you’ll get used to it sooner or later.” he puts a hand on Goro’s forehead, “But I don’t think you should be going anywhere right now—not with a fever like that. You’re _super_ red, you know?” Akira says, way too serious. 

Goro smacks his hand away again. “ _You_ did that!” He huffs. He calms down, and looks at Akira in the eye. “I have to go. For real now, okay?” 

There’s a long pause, before Akira slouches forward, presumably giving in. Goro hopes he’s not pulling another prank.

“And I was having so much fun, too.” He mutters, before leaving the room, before coming back and handing Goro his newly cleaned clothes, his phone, and his briefcase in a stack. Ice shoots up his spine. He forgot about the briefcase. _Did Akira look inside it?_

Akira continues talking, unaware of his panic. “You _promise_ you’ll call me?—even if you’re all the way across Tokyo, and just need help getting up a flight of stairs? Hint; there’s only one correct answer, and if it’s anything else, you’re going to be bedridden for much longer.”

This guy was unbelievable. “Yes,” He promises, chest fluttering at the comments as he rolls his eyes. He tries to take his eyes off the briefcase. He hopes his face doesn’t give too much away. “I promise, Akira.”

“Then _fine,_ ” Akira says, stretched out and upset like the dramatic bastard he is. “Here’s your stuff, I guess.”

_Score._

He can’t snatch that briefcase any faster. “Oh, by the way—” Goro asks, going for casual. “You didn’t look inside my briefcase at all, did you?”

Akira looks at him, then smiles in a charming way that reveals absolutely nothing. “No. It stayed right where you left it.” He blinks. “Is there something odd in there?”

Goro smiles, fake and reassuring as he can. “No, nothing at all,” He lies through his teeth. “I’m just very particular about my files getting mixed up, that’s all.”

“Oh. Makes sense.” Akira hums, and his shoulders go slack, just slightly. But Goro is good at picking up small details, and he doesn’t know what to make of that reaction. Akira looks at Goro like he’s failed some sort of test, and it doesn’t sit well with him. Like… disappointment. _What did it mean? Was he lying about snooping?_

“I should change,” He blurts, and Akira grins at him once again as if there wasn’t some somber mood in the air just then.

_Maybe it was just my imagination?_

“Think you need help changing?” Akira asks in a flirty tone. He doesn’t know if it’s meant to disarm him, or he truly just had strange reactions, and Goro was slightly obsessive with details he didn’t understand.

Maybe he’d just have to get to know Akira better.

“No, thank you. Please leave.” Goro says, feeling just a little bit more relaxed. He can phone Shido, take up a few more jobs to make up for his lack of silence, and everything will be okay.

Sojiro and Futaba would be okay, Akira and him would be okay, they’d all be okay.

He’d prefer to escape for longer and let Akira take care of him, truly. Flirty and odd behaviors and all. But he can’t escape forever, and he’s already had four good days. Plus, he’s been in worse shape before now, and persevered. He could do this. 

He had to.

~

The send-off is more dramatic than he’d like.

“You’ll call me every day, right?”

“Yes, Akira.”

“That’s too far and in between. Make it like, three times a day, okay? I mean this in the least needy way, but If you miss a text, I might actually assume you fell over in a ditch somewhere and need help.”

“ _Don’t worry,_ Akira.”

“Oh, and—”

“Akira!” Goro says, clapping his hands over Akira’s cheeks, which gets a cute face from him in response. He seemed shocked, and taken off guard by Goro’s actions, which usually weren’t so physical. Akira goes almost doe-eyed when he was surprised, and Goro gets another quick reminder that Akira is actually really attractive under his silly gags and bad jokes and overused pick-up lines. He gets a weird sense of jealousy for Futaba, too, who got to see Akira lose his cool while Goro was out of it. He liked seeing Akira’s different faces.

“Don’t worry so much.” He appeases. “I’ll be fine. I might just be coming around a bit less for a while, while I heal up. I’ll still come to Leblanc, though.”

Akira looks pensive. “Hm. Nope. Not good enough. I need your address so I can check in on you periodically.”

“You want my address—?” Goro shakes his head. “No—Akira, I’ll be okay!” He assures with a breathless laugh. _He goes so far._ It’s almost jarring to have someone care for him like this. When was the last time someone showed this much concern for _him?_ “It’s not a long train ride. I’ll come by often enough for you to see I’m okay.” 

“But I just wanted to get you proper dinners and make it less physically stressful for you to see me...” Akira pouts, but eventually smiles slightly. “If it’s too soon, that’s fine. Just don’t hurt yourself in order to visit, okay? And eat well while you aren’t here. Don’t let the station overwork you.”

Goro wavers.

“Well…” He reasons. _Once or twice would be fine, right?_ “Don’t come over unless I’ve approved first, okay? And I’m not home all that often because of work, so it might be late sometimes…”

Akira perks up as Goro texts his phone. “It’s alright, I’m a total night owl, even if my cat tries to get me to turn the lights off early.” Akira assures with a laugh behind his hand. Then he gives Goro a pretty, sincere grin. “Thanks, Goro.”

“It’s… not a problem.” Goro feels his cheeks warm. Then he squints. _Wait a minute._ “Couldn’t you have just asked Futaba, though?”

Akira shakes his head. “I didn’t want it from her,” He snorts. “I wanted you to be comfortable enough to give it to me first.”

And oh, that makes the heat on his face ten times worse, he can feel it. And by Akira’s laugh, he guesses Akira can see it pretty well, too.

He hates how obvious he is, sometimes.

“Alright, I’m going to go.” Goro points jerkily towards the station. “I’ll see you soon?”

Akira closes the distance, and hugs him in a way that makes him melt. Then he places a kiss on Goro’s forehead as he pulls back, and tucks a stray lock of hair behind his ear. _God,_ he thinks silently. _Please save me. It’s too much._

“Yeah. Did you want me to walk you to the station?” He offers, probably out of concern. Goro shakes his head. 

“I’m okay now. It’s daytime, there will be more people around.” _And I have my gun again._ “Don’t worry. And, um—” he looks to the ground in fear of meeting Akira’s eyes. 

“—Thank you. For everything. That four days probably wasn’t easy on you... I’m sorry I worried you. I even took your bed that whole time on top of it.” He says. “So... thanks. I’m glad…” _here we go._ “I’m glad I have someone like you around.”

It feels like he’s trying to cough out his own heart. It was a little confession, but being honest with his feelings didn’t come easy—he’s only been repressing them since he was like, what, seven? So it feels foolish to say these things now. But it’s so worth it when he finally meets Akira’s eyes.

Akira’s eyes are almost sparkling, lips in a wobbly, happy smile. He looks speechless in the best way, And Goro wishes he could do that more often—make him look like that his way. 

“You’re super welcome, Goro—”

“What the hell,” Futaba interrupts, opening the door to leblanc and peering out at them. Their heads both turn to her, moment gone. “You’re still here? You guys give the longest goodbye’s I’ve ever seen, wow. It’s like one of those American romance films.” She laughs, cackling and loud.

Goro probably looks like he’s morphing into a tomato. He rips his hands out from Akira’s. “Okay, so, goodbye then!” He says, too loudly, gaining attention from one or two people walking down the street as he escapes around the corner.

He’s holding his face in one hand all the way to the station. It’s just like the first time—bubbly feelings filling his chest with warmth, and memories of their last moments already in the front of his mind, surely to haunt him until he comes back. The spot Akira kissed on his forehead is painfully hot.

Crushes were scary.

Plus, despite the happiness he’s feeling… it comes with a little bit of worry, too.

He believed his sister when she said to trust Akira. He tried to convince himself he was seeing those gold eyes due to his his delirious state, but if felt so _real._ Even if he was out of it for a lot of the experience, and most of the memories came back like fuzzy tv static bits and pieces… why was the memory of Akira’s eyes being a bright and sharp gold so crisp and clear? And now that his head wasn’t filled to the brim with medicine, clogging his thoughts…

He starts to doubt the little things he thought odd about Akira from the beginning.

The mood falls even more melancholic as he answers twenty-one unanswered texts from Shido on the train. As he sends his apologies to his superior, he can’t help but wonder if the coldness of Akira’s hands was just the spring weather, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG IM GLAD SO MANY PPL LIKED THIS STORY... I hope the second chapter was okay!! Once again, i'm a liar and this is probably going to be about 4-5 chapters now >u>; I'm not so good with pacing. I wanted to cover more in this chapter, but alas...
> 
> anyway, let me know what you think, and thanks so much for reading!! <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK THERES SELF-HARM IN THIS CHAPTER NEAR THE END BUT ITS QUITE BRIEF. I THOUGHT I'D JUST SAY IT NOW THO. OK BYE

Akechi was tired. He had caught up on his work, and finished his last job for the day, dirtied yet another suit in the process. He was sore from his still recovering wounds—the first vampire he ambushed tonight seemed to go straight for his old injuries, of course, So that wasn’t helping. He’s barely managing on shaky legs, but he’s alive. 

For now, that’s all that matters.

His message to Shido is left on read as he leaves the scene, ready to go home for the night, and forget it ever happened at all. 

Maybe he’d have an easier day at the station tomorrow. He was looking forward to it, honestly. Compared to this--these assignments—he’d take a hefty stack of paperwork with no time to pause for eight hours straight any day.

Unlike his work for Shido, he did like the station. The people there minded their own, but they were welcoming to everyone including him, despite him being one of the youngest members on the team. People respected him there—at least that he knew of. He’s not so sure what people said of the young detective, behind the scenes of it all. Still—It wasn’t like walking on a minefield, with them. They were friendly, and it was the sort of atmosphere he liked being in. Even if it was all fake niceties and good mannered greetings. He did know one person who was a close colleague, though.

Sae Nijima.

A tough woman, quiet with a strong will to get where she wanted in the world, almost in spite of those trying to hold her back. A fun conversation partner. She had her moments of doubt and could be swayed in some areas, but mostly stuck with her sense of justice through and through. Yet, she was open to others opinions, which was nice to see. She didn’t bash him when they didn’t see eye to eye—which, they did a lot, to be frank. She was the person he spent most of his time with at work when he wasn’t filing papers.

Just after he texts Shido his update, he gets a text from her. 

**> Sae: How are you, Akechi? I wasn’t at the station earlier, but I heard you were back starting today. **

He smiles, tapping away at his phone.

**> Akechi: Doing good. Sore, but I’ll recover in no time at all.**

**> Sae: I see. If that’s the case, and you’re feeling up to it, would you like me to treat you to dinner? I can pick you up, if the train station is an issue.**

Akechi blinks. He didn’t really expect a dinner invite of all things, from her. They were close work colleagues, and went to lunch together a few times a week, but…

He squints at the message, already suspicious.

_Maybe…_

**> Akechi: You just want a full report on the vampire attack that i experienced, don’t you?**

**> Sae: I might be a little curious.**

Akechi snorts. Yeah, that seemed just about right.

**> Akechi: Fine. I’d just like to go home and change first, if that’s all right?**

**> Sae: Sounds good. I’ll head over when you’re ready.**

**> Akechi: Thank you.**

When he gets home, he quickly goes for a shower. Going out with Prosecutor Nijima was more like an interrogation in an open space rather than a fun thing nine of ten times. You always had to look your best for her—she was good at peeling away layers and insecurities with her sharp eyes, always on duty. She was always evaluating, and usually had a motive with everything she asked.

Still, he didn’t mind it all that much. The back and forth with her lead to interesting places, and it was nice to share different perspectives in someone interested in debate. She wasn’t so bad with advice, either. He’d asked her opinion on many cases, and out of the department, her thoughts were always pretty knowledgeable compared to some others around him.

Keeping it short, he liked her. Even considered her one of his few friends, probably.

When she shows up, they drive there quietly, exchanging small pleasantries. They go to the Shibuya diner, and as they sit down, Akechi can’t help but think throughout their conversation that this is where his first date was.Then his thoughts drift towards Akira, and it’s a slippery slope from there. Sae is quick to catch on.

“Akechi,” She starts. “Is something wrong? You’re spacing out.”

He blinks. “Ah, sorry. Just thinking.” _Been doing a lot of that, lately._ His thoughts have been muddled since Akira has come into his life.

Sae hums. “Would these thoughts happen to be about the vampire you interacted with? It’s normal to be a bit inattentive and confused for a while after.”

“So blunt,” Akechi snorts. “But we might as well get into it, considering this is what you actually wanted to talk about, yes?”

Sae leans into her hands and nods, a small smile on her lips. Akechi sighs.

“I don’t remember so much,” He warns. “But he was… in his thirties to forties, wide gold eyes, and he was wearing a dirty uniform of some kind. Blue, I think?” Akechi squints and shakes his head. “Can’t give you much past that, but it doesn’t matter. You were already given a description, yes?”

She nods.

“I was thrown against the wall, and my head is still recovering from that blow. I don’t remember much else other than being drained by the neck, and left onto the platform.” He sums up, and then pauses. “Oh—then he was going to throw me into the train tracks to dispose of me, if I remember right. But i don't remember if I just thought that’s what was happening, or if he told me. It gets blurry around then.” Who is he kidding? The only clear thing he remembers is Akira from that night. And he still doesn’t know if that memory is _real_. 

“And then…?” Sae prompts, unfaltering.

“And then my friend had shown up, the vampire was spooked and ran, apparently.” He shrugs. “I wouldn’t know. I was out at that point.”

She leans back, and finally emotion crosses her face, now that she was done processing all the information together. “I’m sorry, Akechi.” She says. “That’s horrible. Especially that it happened to you, of all people. It must have brought up some bad memories.”

Sae knew about his past and his mother. Or at least—the important parts. Though he almost jolts in his seat as her straightforward comment. “Yes, I suppose…” He mumbles.

“I didn’t mean to totally interrogate you, tonight. I just wanted to hear it from your side of the story, in case it helped us track him down. Any details your friend may have left out when he called us.” She says. “Sorry to say, that’s just about as much info as your friend had, too. It might be hard to catch this guy, but we’ll rake the shibuya tunnels from yongen up and down until we get a lead once the trains close tonight.” Sae’s smile comes back, warming and almost motherly. “Most of all, I’m glad someone was there to have your back, and you’re ok. Or at least healing, as of now. Have you properly thanked him, yet?”

Akechi smiles, lopsided. “Not properly, yet. But I did thank him briefly before I left.”

“Good.” Sae nod, once. “Did you want dessert, by the way?”

He goes to answer her, but his phone rings. His business-like smile turns on like a flipped switch, and he stands. That would be Shido. “Excuse me for a moment, will you?” Sae nods and shoos him away, and he walks towards the mens’ bathroom, hopefully for more privacy. He answers the phone with his eyes on the restaurant, making sure he’s alone.

“Akechi speaking.”

“Hey, Akechi.” a playful voice greets.

Akechi stands up straighter, eyes widening. _That’s not Shido, that’s—_

He pulls the phone away from his ear like it burned him, and stares at the caller ID. 

_No, definitely not Shido._ He instantly relaxes against the wall, and presses the phone back to his ear with a grin.

“So we’re doing calls now, Akira? No more texts?”

“ _I thought I’d catch you by surprise, detective._ ” Akira purrs. Akechi tries not to smile. He really does. It doesn’t work. _“How are you? Home safe?”_

“No, not right now.” Akechi reports. “I’m out with a friend, she’s treating me to dinner since I can actually walk, now.”

 _“On a date without me already?”_ Akira pouts, and although it’s said in a joking tone, Akechi swears he sounds just a little jealous. It does something fuzzy to his chest.

He stifles a laugh, regardless. “Hardly. Unless you would consider a dinner with a fellow prosecutor a date. She’s just a colleague, don’t worry.” Someone passes by him, and he tries to stand straighter, not to look too flustered just from talking to the guy he likes. _Ugh._

 _“Oh,”_ Akira pauses, for a long moment. _“...Prosecutor Nijima?”_

Akechi blinks. “Are you...stalking me?” He looks around, narrowing his eyes and scanning just to see if Akira was peeking over any seat cushions with that cat-like grin, or standing outside any windows. He could definitely see something like that being in Akira’s type of humor.

Akira laughs giddily on the other side of the phone. _“Did you just look around for me?”_

“No!” Akechi lies, much too loudly, sounding very much like a child.

 _“Ha. you totally did.”_ He can hear the smirk. _“Nah, I’m not there. I’m friends with her younger sister, so I knew she was your coworker. Just wanted to see if I was right.”_

“Oh.” Akechi says, dumbly. It’s odd, but other than with his sister Futaba… He didn’t really think about it, but a guy like him would probably be popular, huh? It wouldn’t be so surprising. Akira Kurusu undoubtedly had an alluring personality, one that certainly could reel a lot of different people in. He was sarcastic and a bit of a joker, but he also cared a lot about others and was a good listener. It couldn’t have just been him who thought this way, either. Futaba had even become very close to such a guy in a short time which was pretty odd for her. She even stuck up for Akira when Akechi doubted him…

_“Akechi? Hello?”_

He shakes his head. “Sorry,” He mumbles. “Still a bit dizzy.”

 _“Hey, I’m all for you hanging out with friends late at night like this, you know—less than a week after the incident—but just make sure you stay safe. Since i’m not with you, don’t leave her sight too much, okay?.”_ He snorts. But then, his voice goes softer. _“I didn’t call you to take you away from her, though. Go have fun, and call me when you get home, so I can manage some sleep tonight. Sound good?”_

Akechi cradles the phone to his ear. “Sounds good.”

_“Alright. Goodnight, Akechi.”_

“Goodnight…” He whispers softly, far away. He hears the dial tone signify Akira hanging up, and pockets the phone before sitting back down in front of Sae, ready to order Dessert.

“Hey, do you think the pudding is good here? I’ve never tried it—whoa.”

Akechi’s mental cloud nine trip pops away, and his attention span comes back at the sound of her voice. “What? What is it?” He asks, Way too suspiciously.

Sae’s brows furrow. “What happened on that phone call? Your face is red.”

Hearing it doesn’t help, and what felt like a sunglow of warmth on his face turns blazen at the callout, and he looks away from her searching eyes.

“O-oh. It’s nothing, I just. Personal call.”

Her eyebrows raise. “Oh. A girlfriend?”

 _Holy shit._ “Oh! Um.. No…” _A boyfriend? A Person he has a wild crush on that he doesn’t know what to do about? A friend he cuddles with and gets the occasional kiss from?_

“A friend.” He blurts. “He’s just. My friend.”

Damn, why’d he have to be so obvious in front of one of the smartest women he knew?

‘He?’ Sae mouths, and then her eyes clear up in understanding too quickly for his liking. “Oh.” she leans in closer, words a whisper. “Would this...happen to be the same young man who called in your accident and possibly saved your life?” _Oh no._ She’s smiling. “Just a friend?” She asks.

_Auuuuuuughhhhhh._

“He’s,” He says, voice coming out just a little bit high. He hates himself just a bit, and clears his throat softly. “He’s my friend. Yes.” 

_Way not to sound like a broken record, Akechi._

It’s not like he has anything else he can say, though. Had he even asked Akira what they were yet? He’s still pretty content with what they have going on, even if it doesn’t have a name. But he’s not sure he should even be talking about it yet—Akira might want to keep quiet of their relationship, or—

She smiles knowingly. “Oh? And have you made a move yet, on this… friend?”

“Ugh.” Akechi sinks into the seat, thoughts pushed aside. He can worry later “Can we not talk about this? I get enough teasing from him every day as it is.”

Sae raises an eyebrow. Akechi wants a rogue meteorite to crush him into the floor.

“No, that’s—!”

“I’m just messing with you, Akechi.” She giggles at his pain like the monster she is. “Ah, youth.”

“You’re really not that much older than me, Sae.” He deadpans.

“Shh. It’s fine. I’ll let you off the hook for now, but share with me about him sometime. Tell me what else is new besides that?”

He appreciates the change in conversation.

~

The next week is pretty quiet as he recovers.

He works at the station, Shido has been aloof, for the most part. Akira texts him a lot, and it helps him take his mind off everything else. 

It warms his heart, to suddenly have someone like this. If it stopped now, he almost doesn’t know what he’d do. It sounds needy, but it’s almost like… He never realised how lonely he was before he met Akira. 

It’s embarrassing. He doesn’t want to linger on the thought, but it’s better than ever saying it out loud, right? As long as he doesn’t have to admit it to others, he might be able to accept it for himself. Maybe. 

Akira is the most dramatic man he’s ever met, always in an act, and always wearing a different mask--which is usually refreshing, to say the least, but it certainly can become tiresome. One day he’s a shameless flirt, the next he’s a total comedian, the next he’s genuine and kind. Some days he’s a combination of all three, and it’s always hard to tell when he’s lying or not.

It was such uncouth, wishy-washy behavior he thought he would never be attracted to. And yet…

Akira was someone genuine when it comes down to it. Deep down he was so careful and kind to Goro that it almost made his head spin. He’s really not used to something like this. One minute he’s calling him in the middle of his shift to drop thirteen new pickup lines he thought of on Goro, and the next he’s asking how he’s feeling, offering to bring lunch to him and telling him to take care of himself so affectionately. 

It’s like he only annoys Goro with tacky behavior for sport, just to disarm him completely and then moments later asked thoughtful questions or dropped a bombshell of a comment on him, throwing the conversation 180 degrees.

It was grating sometimes, but also… He thinks he might be falling in love with the same garish behavior he gets annoyed with daily. It was starting to become the best part of his day to receive various amount of spammed terrible jokes, but he can’t even be mad at his clogged notifications when it’s capped with an ‘I miss you’ at the end, effectively turning him into a pile of mush in the middle of his office.

It’s hard to feel paranoid talking to him like this, either. Even easier to doubt his earlier assumptions when Akira asks to come over that night, tagging a heart emoji on the end.

Of course he says yes.

When he’s with Akira, he can escape everything else. Block it out. 

Just for a while.

~

Akira arrives at his house only forty-five minutes after he gets home, giving him just enough time to get clean and get changed into something casual. He worries about being overdressed and changes once, before grabbing at the bridge of his nose and muttering to himself about his teenage girl-like tendencies.

It’s Akira. The same one who kept a sweatshirt clad, drugged up and injured Goro in his bed for four days without a bath, and still cuddled him and slept with his face right in Goro’s chest at one point. He wasn’t going to care what he wore in front of him for a visit. 

Right? Probably. 

_Stop overthinking._

The doorbell to his tiny apartment rings and he flies over, shutting his brain out as much as he can and opening the door to Akira, wearing a baggy white turtleneck and some jeans, and a bright, bright smile when his eyes meet Goro’s.

“Hey.” He says, leaning in for a hug, and Goro’s face gets pressed into the plush, very Akira-smelling shirt. He breathes in deeply, and feels Akira’s hands tighten around his waist. He can’t believe he went without this for a week, now. He instantly feels a bit needy, not wanting to speratate, and his hands cling like glue to the back of his shirt, his fingers curling into the material an latching on like ten hooks. Akira seems to get what he’s feeling, and doesn’t pull away quickly. 

Maybe they both just missed each other.

They have to pull back eventually, though. They were in the open doorway, where his neighbours could look and spy so easily if they wanted to. When he beckons Akira in, he also notices a bag swaying in his hand. When Akira looks his way, he raises a brow.

“Oh! I made Curry. Forgot to mention. I figured you might not have had dinner if you were working so late.”

His heart pounds.

“That was thoughtful. Thank you.” Goro smiles, and hopefully his stomach doesn’t rat him out loudly and ruin any moment they were having, like last time.

“I won’t keep you up the whole night, but I did bring a movie we could watch, too. Any more than that and you won’t get a good sleep, and i’ll have to walk home since the trains will be down by then.” Akira laughs.

“Or you could just stay over? I wouldn’t mind.” Goro offers.

Akira looks over to him slowly, mouth parted and pretty eyes wide and unblinking.

_Oh. Wait._

“I,” Goro panics. “I didn’t mean anything suggestive by it. I just thought, we haven’t seen each other for a while, and if the trains stop early, we won’t get to see each other for as long. And I’m working late more often than not, so I wanted to make the most of the opportunity—”

“Goro,” Akira snickers, but he’s beaming. “It’s ok. I don't mind. If you’ll have me, I’d love to stay over.” 

Goro flushes, and looks at the floor. “Right. Sounds good.”

Akira grabs hold of his hands, cutting off embarrassing thoughts and self inflicted anger. “Sooo, do you want to watch the movie and eat dinner?” Akira bats his eyelashes again, and Goro nods, very distracted.

He feels like he’s not going to be watching the movie at all.

~

“That end was... kind of lame,” Goro says, pressed into Akira’s chest as the credits roll.

For a horror movie, it was a little bit unrealistic that they all made it out alive, and six of eight of the characters became couples ended pairing up by the end. How did they have time for romance among some weird apocalypse?

“Huh. I kinda liked it.” Akira says. “Maybe you should show me the kind of movie you like, next time? Or we could watch it right now, if you feel like staying up later?”

“Nah,” Goro says, appreciating the arm around his back, holding him loosely yet so securely. He is cramping up, though. “Maybe we could watch another one next week?”

Akira smiles down at him in the dark. “That sounds great.”

“Mm.” Goro agrees, watching the last of the words on screen fade at the top. “I don’t want to go to sleep yet, though. Is that alright?”

Akira cards a hand through his hair, and he closes his eyes. “It’s fine with me. What did you have in mind?”

“Maybe…” Goro pauses. “We could just chat until we fall asleep? My bed is pretty spacious. We could open the window to let the cool air in, though. It’s warmer out lately.”

“Hmm.” Akira hums, and goro can already hear the smirk in his voice as they stand up and start walking. “Inviting me into your bed already, Goro? My, so soon.”

“Would you rather sleep on the floor?” Goro presses back just as sweetly, grinning at Akira as he opens the door and flops down onto the bed, beckoning Akira to do the same. He was starting to learn how to play by Akira’s rules, it seemed. 

“Man. So rude. And here I made you dinner.”

Goro snorts. “Thanks for that, by the way.”

Akira kisses his cheek, out of the blue. “My pleasure.”

Goro feels happy tingles shoot through his entire being, suddenly way too excited to sleep it all off. They unfortunately have to get up to change, but they talk to each other through the bathroom door, as they both take turns getting ready for bed. Goro lends him some clothes, and although it’s really sad to see the cozy turtleneck go, he’s a lot more inclined to the idea of Akira wearing his clothes, even if it's just a t-shirt and sweats.

When they’re both back on the bed, Akira’s holding his hand, and they're both on their sides while facing each other, talking amongst themselves with the nice spring wind chilling their skin. Akira’s toes press against Goro’s feet, and he recoils his legs to the far corner.

“Your feet are freezing!” 

Akira smiles darkly at him, before he rolls closer. Akechi kicks his feet farther back to get away, but apparently that’s not what Akira was going for, this time. Arms are around him, pushing the back of his shirt up, and laying his hands flatly along his spine. Akechi jolts forward, after the delayed confusion has passed.

“Akira!” He gasps, Akira ducks forward in silent laughter. Akechi pushes him away. “You’re too cold. You better stay far on that side, okay?”

Akira frowns playfully. “Not going to warm me up?”

That gets another swift punch to the arm, and the round of giggles continues.

Clearly, neither of them were that tired.

“Should we play like, 20 questions?”

“Isn’t that game for young girls at a sleepover?” Akechi snorts. “We’ll fall asleep before then. How about two truths and a lie?” He hasn’t played a talking game like this since…. Probably since he was nine or ten. Easy enough, though. He just had to guess out of Akira’s three facts which was the lie, and they’d go back and forth guessing.

“I’ll go first,” Akira says, before tapping his chin for a few moments. “Hmm… Okay. I’m a hardcore fan of bubbly hills, 90210. I’ve won the big bang burger challenge twice now. And…. I have twenty-twenty vision. Which is the lie?”

Goro snorts, taking all of that in. 

“Bubbly girls, really? I can kind of see it. That’s true.”

Akira grins. “Don’t knock it till you try it.”

Goro rolls his eyes. “You know, I'm starting to see why you really liked that cliche movie we watched tonight.”

Akira shrugs. “Keep guessing.”

“Hm,” Akechi squints. “You don’t have twenty-twenty vision. Am I right?”

Akira makes buzzer noises with his mouth. “Nope, wrong. Big bang burger was the lie. I’ve only beaten the challenge once so far.”

Goro’s mouth parts. “What do you mean _‘so far’,_ do you really want to go for it again…?” He mutters. Narrows his eyes. “Wait—What do you mean, you have twenty-twenty vision? What’s with the glasses then?” He doesn’t even wait for an answer before pulling them off Akira’s head and putting them on his own face. He makes a sound of disappointment. “So these are just plastic. What the hell?”

“Those are cute on you,” Akira hums, then shrugs, smiling into the pillow a he watches Goro. “I like them. They suit me, don’t they? It’s for fashion.”

“Ugh. I’m dating a fucking hipster.” Akechi groans, rolling his eyes and throwing them lightly onto the bed. Akira laughs all too hard into the pillow; It’s probably the first time he’s ever heard Goro swear. Akira puts the glasses on the window frame before laying down once again. “Your turn,” Akira says playfully.

Great. Time to quickly note facts about himself that aren’t depressing. 

“Okay.” He nods. “ I’m a major Featherman fan.” Akira laughs, cutting him off. Akechi smacks him again. “Let me finish! ...I’ve been a guest on an entertainment network before. And…. i’m into gambling.”

“Please tell me the featherman thing is true. That’d be so cute. Did you and Futaba watch it together on saturdays when you were younger?” Akira almost sounds hopeful.

Akechi rolls his eyes fondly. “Shut up,” He laughs, and Akira clutches at his own chest, clearly overreacting and making a dumb pleased face. He doesn’t want to give Akira the knowledge that they still do that, when he’s they’re both free on mornings it airs. It was a good show, even now. “Guess which one is the lie now.”

“Hm… between tv guest and gambling…. I’ll say, gambling?”

Akechi grins. “Nope. I used to gamble quite a bit, actually. I was pretty good at it too.”

“Really?” Akira does look surprised. “Not to be rude, but you really don’t seem like the type.”

“That’s the point of this game, right? Oh, but I don’t do it anymore, though.” He snorts. “And I wasn’t on an entertainment network, but I did have to go on the news regarding a few local cases before.” He giggles into his fist. “I feel like that was obviously the most absurd option. I’m a little surprised you didn’t go for it.”

“What can I say,” Akira shrugs. “You have the face for it. I bet any tv network’s rating would spike if you showed up. You’d charm the crowd to bits.”

Goro groans. “Oh, stop.”

“Serious! You own a mirror, right? You have to know what I’m talking about.”

Goro feels himself flush to his neck. “A-anyay,” He mutters. “It’s your turn.”

Akira laughs at his evasiveness. “I graduated top ten in my class. I absolutely hate Chocolate chip pancakes. And… I have a really rad model gun collection.”

Akechi blinks. “The… the gun one is a lie, right?” 

Akira nods. “I know a guy who sells them, and he’s pretty cool, but I can’t see a reason to get one.” He shrugs. “He has some impressive models, though.”

“So…” Akechi starts, darkly. “You hate chocolate chip pancakes?”

Akira snorts. “I know you like pancakes of all kinds. I’m sorry.”

“I don’t think this is going to work out,” Akechi says, very deadpan. Akira snorts. 

“I’d eat them every meal of every day if it meant you smiled for me?”

Akechi groans. “Sap,” He mutters, not annoyed in the slightest. “Okay, my turn.”

He relaxes and tries to get into the game, which is where he goes wrong. Of course it does.

“I grew up on a farm. I have a popular food blog online. And… I love cycling.”

Akira squints, “the food blog one?”

Akechi shakes his head. “Nope. It’s very real and you’re never going to track it down.” He grins.

“You forget I’m friends with Futaba, but thanks for the heads up.” He retorts, to Akechi’s horror. “So… the farm one?”

“Bingo.” Akechi says. “I grew up in the city. Not this city, but—Not on a farm. After my mom passed—” and damn it, of course he had to bring her up. His lips close. Shit. He forgot he might actually have to talk about his lies a bit, being a part of the game and all. “—I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—your turn?” He says.

“Akechi,” Akira says, and grabs one of his hands, squeezes it gently, turning him to putty. “If you want to talk about it, i don’t mind. Really.”

“No, I didn’t mean to ruin the good mood like that. I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t be. Even if you just want to say it, you can, and i’ll listen. I won’t say a word if you just want to share. You won’t get any judgement from me, Akechi.”

Akechi stares at him, the sincerity in his eyes, the resolve as he stares him down. He almost shutters. Akira was a good guy. He _meant_ it, when he said things. Like that he cared for Akechi.

He’s feeling vulnerable, and with Akira’s eyes so open and honest… 

He feels bad, suddenly. 

“Can I admit something?” Akechi whispers.

Akira holds his hand squeezing for him to continue. Gaze unwavering.

“I lied, when I told you about my mom’s death.” Akira’s eyes widen. “Not like—not the whole thing. She was killed by vampires. I just didn’t share the rest. And I... altered some parts.”

Akira’s eyes press him on. Calm. Soothing. Interested.

“I told you I stayed home and waited for her to come home. But… I didn’t. I couldn’t stay still, even if she warned me. I was kind of a brat, and I…” He frowns. Maybe he should start a bit earlier. “My mom—she hated me.

“She didn’t want a kid, and she wasn’t shy of pointing it out or anything. I wasn’t a detective back then, obviously, but I knew it well; even if it wasn't stated to my face.” He frowns. “I made her life so much worse, was the thing.”

Akira squeezes his hand. “Goro…”

“I’d listen to and obey her every word, hoping that one day, she’d be proud to have a son, and that—” He blinks the blurry vision away. He doesn’t need to cry about this. “—I don’t know. I just. I wanted her to like me. I wanted her to one day, think that.... I was special. So I did everything she asked.”

He shakes his head, holding Akira’s hand tightly. “I shouldn’t have left the house. She told me not to, but I thought, just maybe, If she needed my help, she wouldn’t scold me. Even if she did, I expected it. I just didn’t want to be alone.” He tries to keep his voice steady, which works for the most part. He’s good at concealing any emotion, at this point. But even talking about something he hadn’t shared with someone in so long… really hinders that.

“I found her in a back alley. The shortcut she never told me to take, on the way home from school. We didn’t live in the best neighbourhood. But anyway,” He continues, not meeting Akira’s strong gaze. “She was alive, when i got there. There were two vampires holding her down, laughing, with eyes so gold… my mom spotted me hiding first… she...”

When Akechi looks up to Akira, his expression was so heartbroken. Goro has to look away again. “She didn’t say a word. But the look on her face was enough. She looked so mad, so regretful as she turned away, and I…” he closes his eyes, biting his tongue. “That’s the last time I saw her. I’m not sure if she looked away to keep the two from noticing me. But in the end, I never got the chance to prove my worth to her, and the last thing she felt for me was still nothing but utter disappointment, probably.” He grimaces, just a bit teary. 

Akira rubs his back. Pulls him close, and he goes willingly, lifeless as a doll, until Goro’s face is wedged in between Akira’s shoulder and neck. His hands do circles on Goro’s back, and he shivers.

“There was two vampires. One of them stayed with her, and the other came after me, after they noticed me there.” He mumbles. 

“You must have been so frightened.” Akira says, arms holding Goro tightly to his chest. He can’t say how much he appreciates this moment. Akira’s arms around him might be the only thing keeping him grounded as he shares this story.

Goro snorts, watery. “Not so much then. The fear really kicked in when he caught me.” He says. “Instead of draining my blood though, I don’t know why, I just thought… that he was going to turn me. And I was scared that I’d be stuck in a child’s body, never dying…”

Akira pulls back, And Goro momentarily panics, clutching at Akira’s arms, but Akira doesn’t lean back fully. He’s pulled back just enough to push kisses at the corner of his eyes, before mumbling soothing words into Goro’s ears.

“You’ll never be alone again,” Is one of the few whispered phrases he catches off Akira’s lips, and feels his vision waver again as he buries his face in Akira. 

So much for having a fun, stress-free date night.

“I’m really sorry I unloaded all that onto you…” Goro mumbled. “I haven’t told many people before… Even Futaba had the clean, less detailed version. Sojiro and Sae got the full story, though...”

“Then I’m lucky you trust me so much,” Akira says, voice still like warm bells ringing into his ear. He could fall asleep, like this. “And I told you—You don’t need to apologize. I’m glad you shared with me, Okay?”

“Okay.” Goro says quietly. He feels weightless and floaty, like he needed that. Hell, he probably needed to talk about it years ago, and he’s just now feeling the tension lifted off his shoulders of just… talking, and having someone listen to him. His eyelids grow heavy, and he falls asleep curled up in Akira’s arms.

~

The next morning is quiet as they get ready, Akira looking like he’s about to flop over at any given moment, with how tried he looked. It was such a domestic, warm moment. So of course it’s quiet and good-feeling times like this when his negative thoughts decide to return, ones of Akira’s possible true nature.

He can’t put it off for any longer, though. His feelings will just get more muddled the longer he left this alone, no matter how nice it was to ignore his duties and be with Akira, feel like his actual age for once and deal with all these new emotions and experiences.

He comes to a decision as they approach the train station, just before they split off for the day, ready to go to work, and in Akira’s case—return home. 

He wouldn’t let himself get further attached until he found out for sure what he saw wasn’t true. Last night… He’d had revealed so much to Akira, and though it felt great to unload his past and feelings like that, he wouldn’t let it happen again until he knew for sure what he was dealing with. 

He’s going to go insane if he doesn’t get this sorted, and while being with Akira, talking to him, kissing him… It all felt great, but he wouldn’t be able to feel fine about it any longer if he didn’t get rid of his suspicions the only way he knew how; and then he could move on, he’d feel better about their time together, and he wouldn’t need to feel like a guilty mess about it afterward.

And the only way he knew how to move forward at this point was to prove himself wrong. 

_But if Akira was a vampire…_

His gut churns at the thought. He’d like to make one last nice memory with the guy, before he stopped pretending. He would wash this all away, like a pleasant dream, and return to his reality. 

He could forget it all. 

He was supposed to kill vampires, after all.

“Akira!” He calls, before Akira has completely walked up the platform stairs. That shaggy mop of black hair turns, and he looks less tired, more curious as he comes back a few steps as Akechi meets with him, running to the stairs.

“The day after tomorrow…” He says. “I.... have the day off. Would you like to go out, or something?” He holds his breath.

Akira’s grogginess from the early wake up call is nowhere to be seen. He suddenly grins, wide and dark, almost giving Akechi shivers how fast he could change his attitude.

“Are you… asking me on another date, detective?” He asks slyly.

Akechi flusters at the thought of passerby’s looking at them, listening to their interaction. “Yes,” Akechi agrees, with a single nod. _keep it together._ He looks to the ground, unable to meet with such bright, genuine eyes. “I like you, Akira. I want to see you more. ...Is that okay?” It almost feels bad, going through with his plan this way. It hurts—not because he’s lying—it was the truth. He liked Akira. A lot. But he feels dirty, asking Akira out only so he can look for hints to confirm or deny his theories, which could just be a wild delusion—while leading Akira on to think his request to meet more was honest interest alone. But he had to know. For sure. 

“Where would we be going?” Akira asks with a grin, getting closer. People were definitely staring now.

“Uh,” Akechi says, startled and a little frantic at the sudden proximity. He can’t look at those eyes, still. Rather than before, its from sheer embarrassment at this point. They were in public, couldn’t Akira see the stares they were getting? This wasn’t the quiet alleyways of yongen! “I didn’t think that part through, yet?” He replies, hoping the answer was satisfactory enough.

“Oh?” Akira hums, and Akechi can hear him smiling. He chances looking up, and while he sounded like he was joking around, his eyes were honest and excited, which makes Akechi feel even more like shit. “You have my number. Be sure to let me know what you decide, okay? I’m excited.” 

With that, Akira leans forward, and Akechi shuts his eyes, preparing for the worst. But akira leans into his ear instead, shocking him with hot breath touching his earlobe as he spoke. 

“Thanks for being honest with me, last night. I’m glad you told me.” Then he’s backing off, leaving fire on Akechi’s face. A few close passerbys walk on quickly with wide-eyed expressions, glancing their way.

Akira waves from the steps again like he did nothing wrong. And then the bastard blows him a kiss. “Bye, Goro. I’ll talk to you later!” He says, sounding haughty, loud, and very embarrassing.

That absolute asshole. He doesn’t feel bad at all, anymore.

~

Akira’s excited. It completely distracts him the entire evening, the cute look on Goro’s face as they parted at the station, as he asked to see him again—Invited him on a date.

So far, just that evening, he’s dropped and shattered a whole cup of coffee, and the other time he tried to make a second cup for a customer, he ended up pouring the hot liquid on his hand instead of into the cup, totally hopeless. Sojiro was annoyed, but sent him away as soon as it became to be concerning, telling him to get some rest early. Now he couldn’t focus on this shooting game he and Futaba were playing in Leblanc’s attic for the life of him, either.

“Okay, that’s it!” Futaba throws the game controller to the floor in annoyance, looking at him with full attention and curiosity, the game paused and the room silent. “This is the fifth time you’ve lost, and you’re still smiling. What happened?”

“Your brother asked me out.” he says, almost sheepish, as he plays with the tips of his hair.

Futaba squints at him, eyes looking all around his face, as if trying to find the answer to something. “Why… why are you like this?” she asks, deadpan and almost concerned, as if his joy over the upcoming date was something odd.

“What?” Akira asks, blinking, and feeling his cheeks warm. 

“You’ve already had like… how many dates is it now?”

“Three.”

“The four days he was cooped up in your attic don’t count.”

“Okay, two.”

Futaba rolls her eyes. “Two dates and you’re this far gone?”

“Yeah, but this time he asked me out first.” he stated proudly. Futaba rolls her eyes.

“Okay, but like, You should still be wary of him, right? Are you paying attention to what he’s up to at all, or has the crush got you too hopeless to function?”

Akira’s smile thins out. “I know I can’t get too carried away, but… He told me something last night. He was honest with me, and…” it felt nice, to see the different sides of Akechi. It felt nice to see his mask crack in half sometimes, and to hear what he’s almost certain was Akechi’s real feelings. He liked Akechi’s face, his long yet tidy brown hair. His reddish brown eyes, that almost looked like gemstones in direct sun. He liked it when he smiled. When he got embarrassed. Their way Akechi responded to his banter and humor, like no one else really did. 

e wasn’t sure if Akechi even would like the real him if he knew, but he wanted him to so _badly._ He wanted to be with Akechi, and be able to be honest like Akechi was the night before. How could he even explain any of these small things to Futaba? He sighs, throwing his hands into his face.

“I just really, really like him Futaba.” He settles on, hoping it conveys something that he’s feeling.

She only sighs in response as well, before getting close enough to pat his back. “There, there.” She says. “Just be cautious on your date. We don’t know what he’s thinking, but if you’re sure he’s being honest with you about something—I won’t ask—then that’s probably a step in the right direction.” She smiles at him when he peers through his fingers. “Now, can we play this game? Like—actually, this time.”

Akira laughs and nods, and Futaba goes to grab the controller she threw.

“Oh, and Akira?”

“Yeah?” 

“I’m happy for you.”

He grins at nothing in particular. “Yeah. Me too.”

~

Goro has decided on the amusement park, it seemed. It was only a short ride away, the expense was fair, and they’d surely have a great day, as long as no little kids barfed on them on the rollercoaster, that is.

Akira says yes to the text in a heartbeat.

He doesn’t debate with things such as outfits this time as long, too excited to see Goro. If he had been that honest with Akira, and they wouldn’t need to worry as much—like Futaba said—he’d be enormously relieved. It made sense, right? And if Futaba thought it too, maybe he wasn’t just lovesick and crazy after all. 

He still felt a pressing guilt, though. He wanted Akechi to know the truth about him. Goro Akechi was becoming someone really important to him, and while he wanted to come clean…

He didn’t want to lose him, because of it.

He liked Goro. Everything he did, it was just--Refreshing. He knew Akechi had done wrong, but he also knew things most others didn’t, and the things he seemed to tell nobody but Akira. Maybe it also had something to do with their similarities, as to why he felt so lured in by the man. 

Akira’s own past cut off a lot of relationships for him, leaving him alone and stranded in a new place, unsure of who to trust. The way Goro acted... it was like he was going through the same thing, only different. He always seemed to lie his way out of the simplest things, as if afraid to reveal his true thoughts and feelings even to those closest to him. Akira wanted to be the person who could help him break out of that mindset, if it was possible. He wanted to see all of Goro’s real self, not just bits and pieces. The good he knew was there, and the ugly truths, as well. 

He just hoped that Goro wouldn’t put a bullet in him, when it came down to ugly truths.

Akira waits at the amusement park entrance for only ten or so minutes before Goro arrives, looking just a bit flustered and out of breath--but still incredibly handsome and put together all the same.

“Sorry for being late, I—” He breathes in raggedly. “The train. It didn’t show up on time, so i had to get the next one after you.”

“It’s okay.” Akira grins. “Do you want to sit down for a while?”

“No way.” Goro smiles, teeth sharp. “We’re only going to sit down when we’ve conquered the whole park, after all.”

“I like the starting attitude for this date.” Akira snorts. Offering a hand, he asks, “Shall we?”

Goro nods, and twines his hand with his. Akechi smiles so sweetly at him, and ignores the looks of those around him, unlike yesterday. He’s showy, loud, and smiling as they go through the ticket process. 

It’s… different. Like Akechi’s trying to play along, despite obviously not liking the attention. Was he trying to one up Akira, or just being considerate?

It was different, for sure. Almost unnerving. 

He lets himself relax a little when he sees Goro smile at him and point on a ride he wanted to see, like he was genuinely thrilled to be at a place like this. And maybe he was. Maybe this was his version of being more honest and open with Akira?

He forgets about the worries for now.

~

When they’ve finished with all the expensive game stalls that are impossible to win, went on every ride meant for anyone above twelve, and successfully spent most of the day and tickets away, they choose to use their last tickets for the ferris wheel to end the night.

They’re escorted into the huge, closed off ferris wheel booth quietly, and the ride slowly makes it’s way above the city, the sun just starting to sink and the sky a bright glaring orange mixing with a murky purple clouds and darkness of night. 

They spent most of the ride up in silence, before Goro leans into his shoulder, looking out the window.

“You know, I’m exhausted, but this might have been the most fun I’ve ever had in a long time.”

Akira’s heart warms. “Yeah?” He asks. He rest his head on Goro’s, and looks out the window with a light smile. “For me, as well.”

After a moment, Goro sits up, harbouring the rest of Akira’s attention, and he turns to Goro, only to have lips on his, soft and warm.

Goro kisses him sweetly, fingers twining together with his in one hand, and the other being the only thing between Goro and him. Their lips press and brush against each other, as they try to find a way to get comfortable holding each other within the cramped space without parting. 

Akira’s teeth catch on Goros lip, and he moans lightly, just a breathy, light sound. It’s enough to push Akira further, pulling the arm between them and placing it at his back, trying to get close as humanly possible to Goro. He licks at Goro’s lips, and with another small gasp, he opens his mouth, not pulling away in the slightest, and almost leaning in more desperately as his fingers curl tight into Akira’s palms, reciprocating to the best of his ability.

Goro was inexperienced for sure, but it wasn’t bad in the slightest. It almost made him happier, in a weird way, that Goro hadn’t done stuff like this with probably anyone but him. It made him smile against those warm lips, even when their teeth catch awkwardly or their noses bump.

Akira swipes his tongue against Goro’s, and the man practically melts into his arms. It’s only when they need to breath that Akechi pulls back first, both of them panting and trying to regain their breath.

Goro’s eyes are half-lidded, glancing almost wistfully back down at Akira’s presumably red lips. Goro’s were red and bright too, and he certainly couldn’t pull his eyes away.

He lifts a hand to push a lock of Goros hair back, golden from the dying sun’s rays landing just perfectly over the locks. He runs his fingers along his cheek as he does it, and Goro’s eyes watch him, searchingly.

“Goro, I think…” He whispers, and finds himself trailing off. 

What was he going to say? He had a huge crush on him? He might love him, or at least feels like they’re weirdly connected through something like fate? Was it really the right time for that? Once again, he feels like he should be realistic. Or at least not get too ahead of himself for now. _Don’t dig yourself deeper when you’ve been lying to him._

“I really like you.” He blurts out instead. _Nice._

Goro blinks. Laughs prettily into his closed fist. “I mean, I assumed that much, after that...”

Akira’s heart hurts, and his shoulder slump, his forehead coming into contact with Goro’s. “No, I…” _pick your words carefully,_ he scolds himself. _Don’t make commitments you can’t keep up with. Don’t confess while lying to him._

“I had fun today.” He says, the words practically being pushed out of his chest.

Goro looks at him with an unreadable expression, before smiling. “I had fun too, Akira.” He squeezes his hand between them, and leans back into place, head on Akira’s shoulder until the ride is over and they had to leave.

~

“Let’s do this again sometime, okay?” Akechi asks at Leblanc’s door. It was seemingly their end of date routine by now.

“Of course.” Akira agrees, pecking his lips once again before squeezing his hands. “Sure you don’t want me to walk you to the train?”

“Nah,” akechi shakes his head. “It’s not that late, this time. I’ll be fine, Akira.”

“Text me when you get home, then?” 

“Of course.”

And then Akira is waving at him as he goes, and enters the shop.

Sojiro looks up at his arrival. “Oh, hey, you’re back. Good.” he pats his hands on his apron before walking around the counter, tossing some keys his way.

“Sorry to bail on you just as you get home, but I promised Futaba I’d make her noodles for dinner.” He rolls his eyes fondly. “I cleaned up most of the kitchen, but do you think you can handle giving the tables a quick wipe and dry the dishes?” Akira nods. Sojiro gathers his things, before turning back to Akira with a grin. 

“Oh yeah. Did you have fun with Akechi?”

Akira nods silently. He knew he probably had a lighthearted expression on, which seemed to be enough for Sojiro’s approval. He ruffled Akira’s already shaggy hair as he passed him by. “That’s good to hear, kid. Stay safe, and don’t stay up too late, okay?”

Akira nodded again. “Goodnight, Sojiro.”

“See you tomorrow, kid.”

~

The cafe is quiet and soothing for him, perfect for gathering his thoughts as he dries tea cups and plates, putting them away carefully and giving the counter a good wipedown.

He’s only alone for as short as ten minutes before he hears the bell of the cafe door ring as it’s rattled against the frame.

_Oh, crap. Forgot to hang the sign._

“I’m so sorry, but I’m afraid we’re clo—”

He doesn’t even get far enough into the sentence before the words are ripped from his throat. The smell of blood hits him like a truck to the senses, nauseating and filling his brain. He looks at who opened the door, and his eyes widen.

Goro stands there, looking right at him with blood running down his hand from his arm, droplets spattering onto the floor. His eyes are hollow-looking, and his ever-present smile wasn’t there.

“Goro—?” 

“I knew it.” Akechi says, mumbling, but Akira still manages to catch it. The knife in his other hand. He did this to himself? His eyes are torn, but the frown pulling at his lips turns into a rueful smile that screams betrayal. “I knew you were lying!”

“Akechi!” Akira says, trying to find the time to even think properly. His eyes. His eyes must be gold, What does he say to Akechi—

He doesn’t even get a foot in front of the other before Akechi whips out a gun from his coat, pointing it his way and holding Akira in place, unmoving.

“Don’t call me that. And don’t take another step.” His voice is cold, unwavering. Akira’s heart might as well have shattered in it’s spot.

“...You knew.” He says, quiet.

“Of course.” Akechi grins. It doesn’t reach his eyes, which are still lifeless and red like blood as they stare him down. He barely blinks, and the love, the feeling in his gaze from earlier… it’s not there anymore. He looks like a different person altogether, as he mercilessly keeps the gun trained on Akira. He looks slightly... disgusted. 

So this was how he looked at vampires before he killed them, huh?

“You might have thought me an idiot and thought your lies would work, but I am a detective first and foremost.” Akechi says, voice even. “You had Futaba fooled too, huh? I’m glad i’ll be keeping her safe.”

Akira grits his teeth. _No, Futaba knew before you did._ He didn’t want to share that, though, for her sake. He wasn’t dragging either her or Sojiro into this mess, mostly in uncertainty with what Akechi would do with that information.

“No comments? That’s fine.” Akechi smiles, humourless. He comes closer. “You were really good at acting, though. I’m surprised you didn’t mess up sooner than this.”

He knew this was going to happen. Why did he do this to himself? Dread fills his gut. “I wasn’t acting.” He says honestly. “I’m still not.”

“Don’t play games, Kurusu.” Akechi snarled. “What was the point in approaching me? Did you know, when you first saw me, what I was?” he smiles widely. “The other vampire commented that despite not knowing who i was, they could smell the death on me. I wonder, why then, that you stuck around. Was it a thrill to flirt with danger? Hoping to catch me off guard?”

Akira wants to throw up. The contrast from Akechi a few days before, in the middle of the night, being honest and kind with him… to this. “You approached me, Akechi. First night here, remember? All you.” He frowns. 

“Don’t be snarky.” He hisses. “But the danger part is true, yes? You just wanted to try and get me vulnerable, before you striked out?” He viciously remarks with a smile, like a snake about to sink it’s jaws into him. “How quaint.” 

“No.” Akira says, narrowing his eyes. Akechi was attractive in a dangerous way, but by no means did he want to hurt Akechi, what the hell. “I don’t know if I could really explain it.” _I just wanted to get to know the real you underneath everything else, probably._

“So it’s not the danger part, then?” Akechi hums, almost thoughtfully. “Do try and explain what you mean. I’m patient.”

Akira sends him a hurt glance. What does Akechi _want_ him to say?

“I’m sure it felt great,” Akechi spits. “Closing in on your prey like that, huh? Get the detective who got plenty of your kind, but you weren’t quick enough, were you? You messed up, too. A deadly mistake. ” He says. “I have a great memory. I shouldn’t have listened to your lies, or my kind-hearted sister’s opinion.” 

Akira snaps. Mostly because now, he’s dragging Futaba into this as well. 

“Do you really think It was all an act?” Akira says, darkly. “I saved your life, Akechi. Why would I do that if I just wanted to drink your blood? Don’t you think I had the perfect chance for that back at the train station?”

Akechi does something close to a flinch before recovering, trying to look unaffected as always.“You never know,” Akechi says venomously. “You might have planned it from the beginning—send one of your little friends to attack me, then save the day and come out looking like a hero, gaining my trust?”

Akira’s jaw goes slack. “Are you _kidding_ me?” He scoffs. “Did I miss something? What gave you the impression I’d ever do anything dark or cruel like that to you, do you really think that I would—” _yes, of course he does. That’s why you’re at the end of the gun in your first argument as a couple._ his brain reminds him.

He takes a few deep breaths, and tries to find some source of inner peace while he deals with Akechi acting like this. One wrong move and he’s done for, after all. 

“I just.. I like you, okay? It’s as simple as that. I don’t need more of a motive then the fact you interested me, and I wanted to see you again.” He frowns. “And yeah, I knew you were a hunter. I thought I could maybe change your mind on the whole all-vampires-are-the-incarnate-of-sin thing eventually. I wanted to tell you eventually, too. About myself. You were so honest with me and I…” He sighs. This probably wasn’t getting through to him at all. _Why am I so bad with words?_ “I really was happy when you told me everything that happened to you. I was just afraid that this would happen. So I wanted to wait for a while.” 

Akechi’s hold on the gun falters. “Shut up.” he says, quieter than earlier.

Akira frowns, annoyed. “I knew from the moment I met you what you were like and what you’d done, okay? I just… I liked you best, when you were being honest with me. Even if it wasn’t good things, like the reasons you hated us and your clear disdain from even the moment we met, I just... “ He inhales. “I wanted to see the good sides of you, too. That’s it. There’s no act, and no lying.”

“That’s a lie! Right there.” Akechi almost screams. “You left out the most important part of all—you told me everything but your true nature, getting more and more information from me, acting kind—but you’ve done horrible things when nobody’s around, right? All vampires do.”

Akira was going to have an aneurysm, probably. How do you break down twenty metre tall mental walls made of titanium? 

“Oh, And you’re so innocent? Don’t be a hypocrite.” He’s adding fire to the flame now, great. “I’ve done things I’m not proud of, but I’ve never _killed_ people, Akechi. Some of the vampires you killed? Probably innocent too.”

“There’s no way,” Akechi says, in vehement denial. “You’d have to. How’d you survive, otherwise?”

_A sketchy back alley doctor who gives me blood in exchange for doing research on me?_

No, he wouldn’t throw Tae under the bus like that. If he’s going down here, he’s going down alone.

He has nothing more to say. He stays silent, and watches Akechi look victorious.

“See! I was right.” Akechi almost looks manic. “You are guilty, just like the rest. It’s probably why you came here in the first place, huh? To escape the penalties from whatever you did where you came from.”

Akira flinches. Okay, _not_ true. He had to bring this down a notch, and the only thing that seemed to get through to Akechi was honesty.

“Akechi…” Akira sighs. Tries again. “Despite whatever you think is going on… I wasn’t lying to you. I don’t regret meeting you, either.” He looks into Akechi’s eyes. “Tonight I wanted to confess to you, on the ferris wheel. Is it weird that I’m kind of relieved you know the truth about me, now?”

“What? Don’t bullshit me—”

“I’m not.” Akira says, voice hard. “I never had a friend who was a vampire in my hometown, okay? That’s the only thing I lied about.” He says. “But do you think it’d be easy to confess to someone I know who would kill me that I knew what they did? What their job was? What _I_ was?” He asks, watching as Akechi’s eyes left his for a split second. “I couldn’t exactly tell you what I was, no. But I wanted you to find out eventually. I wanted to come clean with you the way you did with me.” He laughs. “Even now, I still want to be with you. And all you want is to put a bullet in my head, huh?” He grins humorlessly. Bad time for bad jokes. Akechi glares harder.

“Maybe I did want to change what you were doing, because I do think it’s wrong. We aren’t all heartless as you seem to think.” Akira starts. “But my goals wasn’t so I could drain your blood in some messed up sense of victory over you. I wanted you to stop what you were doing for my sake, sure. But for your own sake, too. For your sisters’ sake. Do you understand?” He asks, looking to Akechi’s eyes. “It’s not a safe job. You have a family, okay? Stop for them. There are people who would be upset if you died, or went missing and didn’t come back.” _I’m one of them, too._ He keeps that to himself—unsure how interested Akechi would be with that scrap of information.

Akechi is quiet for a moment. His eyebrows are starting to pull together, as he searches Akira’s face. He puts the gun back in his trenchcoat silently.

Akira heaves a quiet sigh of relief.

And then, Akechi pulls the glimmering knife out of the other pocket, and akira’s eyes follow it, it’s sharp glimmering edges still stained with brown dry blood.

“You almost had me for a moment there.” Akechi snorts, voice menacing. “None of you are innocent. You’re all the same and I’ll prove it!”

“Akechi, don’t—”

Akechi runs the knife sharply down his palm, the cut deep and pouring blood in seconds. The wound from earlier was much smaller, and dried quickly. He didn’t even notice it throughout the tension earlier.

This wound runs deep, and it takes a lot to hold himself in place and seem uninterested. Akechi doesn’t help when he quickly comes up to a stunned Akira, and smears the blood on his mouth.

“There they are,” Akechi hums. “Gold eyes. Can’t control them when you smell blood, huh?” His expression grows dark. “You say you’re not an animal, but you’ll respond the way I expect, I’m sure.” He says, confident. 

Akira can’t talk. If he opens his mouth, he’s done for. There’s a hand hovering so close to his mouth, the blood red, wet, dripping on his lips, he can’t do this, _he can’t—_

Akechi pulls his hand towards himself, as if rescinding the offer, and Akira instinctually snaps, grabbing the hand and ripping it back toward him, tongue darting out to taste Akechi’s blood.

It’s sweet, like crimson honey. The smell is intoxicating and he doesn’t remember the last time he had blood from a living creature, not stuffed and packaged in a cold bottle for months before reaching his hands. This is fresh, and it’s from Akechi, overwhelming his rational senses worse than that night back at the station.

Akechi laughs, loud and angry, snapping him out of his bloodthirsty stupor. He pulls his tongue back and throws akechi’s hand away from himself, feeling disgust fill him to the bone.

He proved akechi’s point.

He failed.

He can’t meet Akechi’s eyes, but hears the gun being cocked, presumably aimed at him. “It’s been fun, Kurusu.”

He can’t focus. Akechi’s words are a blur themselves.

This is just like the first time, when he was in his hometown and he snapped at the smell of an open wound, just like a newborn, he was just so thirsty and he attacked an innocent man—

He blurrily looks at akechi. There must be something weird with his own expression, because Akechi isn’t smiling so manically anymore. He looks… uncertain. Maybe truly for the first time tonight. But as Akira tries to assess the emotion, it’s wiped off his face, leaving nothing but a blank slate.

Akechi is hesitating, for whatever reason.

“...You know what?” Akechi says slowly. “I’ll take your advice. I’ll stop this now, for Futaba and Sojiro’s sake.” He isn’t smiling. “I won’t make them see that mess. After her mother, something like that really would scar Futaba for life.” Akechi says, quiet.

Akira continues to stare.

“If I ever see you here again—” Akechi says, a threat this time, holding the gun pressed up against his forehead. The cold metal pushes against his skin, just below his hairline, and he still hasn’t moved. “—I won’t stop. I want you to leave Tokyo, and never come back. Don’t bother the Sakura’s any longer. They don’t need someone like you turning on them.” Akechi pulls back the gun, and stares at him oddly for a second, before retreating to the storefront. Akira’s eyes don’t follow. They can’t.

“Goodbye, Kurusu.” Akechi says, maybe almost sounding sad, if he concentrates, or maybe just wishes. The quiet tingle of the cafe bell is the last straw, really driving what happened home.

He slides to the floor, head back against the side of the bar counter, closing his eyes now that he’s alone.

Trying to process what happened, trying to breathe—anything functional.

But his thought’s just kept screaming, and he feels the dread sink in with what happened, events replaying over and over again in his head, and how Akechi was never going to see him ever again, because of his own _stupid instincts._

He stays there. 

And it’s exactly where Sojiro finds him the next morning, still awake, still trying to process what happened. He’s aware Sojiro is panicking, and asking him questions his brain can’t quite catch up with. He can feel the light grip on his shoulders, but he still doesn’t feel there-enough to respond.

He feels something like this is going to haunt him for the rest of his long, long life.

 _He failed_.

And now he’d never see Akechi again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I DIDNT MEAN TO WRITE 11k??? anyway take it as an apology for me being late to update this week LOL
> 
> also this is probably the most dramatic chapter i've written in my life lmf a o  
> I feel like with vampire aus u just have to have a bunch of cliches along with it no escape. this akeshu is slowly turning into twilight w/o my approval,
> 
> LMAO ANYWAY i feel this chapter was rlly back n forth and got to this heavy intense part of the plot rlly quickly buT ITLL MAKE SENSE LATER.... I already got the rest planned out. Either way this was a rlly fun chap to write and i hope ppl like it  
> ALSO PLS DONT HATE AKECHI OR ME FOR THIS???? dflgljfdlglfg


	4. Chapter 4

_He was right._

Goro gets out of there as fast as he can. He needed to be anywhere but Yongen right now, and his feet couldn’t take him fast enough through the curvy back roads towards the station. He’s vaguely aware his breathing is short and erratic, most definitely not because of the pace he was walking at. He feels sick to his stomach, nerves fried and braid muddled with contradicting thoughts.

_He was right._

The people on the train don’t even look his way, and he’s grateful. It gives him time to think to himself—to just think of anything else rather than what just happened. he looks on his phone for something to distract himself. He Deletes Akira’s messages while he’s there and voids the contact info. Goro’s heart is racing and his guts are churning, but he can’t lose composure in public. Shido would have his head if he got word of it from his spies that seemed to be everywhere.

When he’s made it to his apartment, he closes the door much too harshly behind him, finally able to react to what happened, as nobody was looking at him now. Like a cracked glass submitting in to the pressure, he falls apart and slides to the floor of his dark apartment, feeling the reality sink in.

Akira Kurusu was a vampire.

He was a vampire, and he’d been lying to Goro the _whole time._

Goro feels the rage sift through his bones, the feeling of anger and betrayal consuming his thoughts and he clenches his hands into his own hair, feeling the want to rip it out. He couldn’t think.

Part of his mind chants in a chorus of _I knew it!_ over and over again in an endless loop. He shouldn’t feel betrayed--he was suspicious from just after the first date. He can’t help it, though. The feelings consume his mind, making him feel like he’s going mad.

The rest of his emotions are a mix of feeling lost, sad, and angry. There’s no reason to be this mad. It was bound to end up this way. Should have listened to gut feeling on this one. _Should have went back there, eliminated him for toying with you—_

Those thoughts ramble on for a while. And then tears start to gather in his eyes, and he scrubs them away frantically with his arms.

Akira was so...perfect. It had to have been an act, all this time, but…

He remembers his cold but kind touch, holding hands with him on the ferris wheel. The first date they went on, too. The time in his own bedroom, and Goro confessed his lies to Akira, who encouraged him on and didn't seem like he was faking the feelings he responded to Goro with.

Akira, who had cold hands and lips, but hugged him strongly, the way he needed from years earlier. Akira… Funny, talented, kind Akira...

The face he made when Goro left tonight might never leave his mind. His eyes were so glassy and confused, and even with crimson blood smeared over his face, his gold eyes looked sad and nowhere near as bloodthirsty as he hoped they would. It was haunting. 

He looked lost then, too.

 _But he had to be lying._ Another part of him argues. He tramples the thoughts of mourning, letting the anger push him on further. 

_No vampire was innocent,_ He thinks, like a mantra to convince himself. _He was lying, and if you let him carry on, you would have died. He would have killed you. He’s killed others, surely. Everything else was just a plot to pull you in, and make you vulnerable enough to be stopped in your tracks._

Then why didn’t Kurusu kill him by now, if that was the case? He had so many windows, gun pointed to him or not. He seemed like the kind to have tricks up his sleeve if that were the case, so why?

Goro stays on the floor, and the tears don’t exactly stop. He’s always been a silent crier, but he doesn’t want to be feeling this at all. The more he thinks about the nice moments they had, the more it hurts when he considers Akira couldn’t have meant it. Even if he was telling the truth about some things, he was lying about important parts, and was probably going to use Goro just like everyone else in the past had--would he have drained Goro of all his blood, when he finally let all his guard down?

He picks himself off the floor, and takes deep breaths as he enters the washroom, starting the hot water for a shower. 

He was filthy, and he didn’t have any time to think about these things. Nothing fruitful would come of them, anyway.

It’s the most confused he’s ever been in his life. Not only was the boy he liked what he hated most in this world, but he still didn’t get conclusive answers if Vampires were all as he thought.

Maybe Kurusu was just an enigma, among them. Or at least, with the possibility of Akira telling the truth… he’d like to believe his story. But Goro has a job to get back to, and duties to fulfill. He already promised himself he would let it go if he was right, in the end.

But he’s a liar, even to himself.

He let Akira live—not for the reason he said out loud to his face, though.

Goro stands quietly in the shower, and hates himself a little more.

He has to stay angry—it’s the only way he thinks he can manage coping with it for now, easier than letting himself succumb to heartbreak.

The night goes on, and his thoughts continue to do laps. He doesn’t sleep that night.

~

Despite not feeling all that up for it, he goes to work at the station.

 _Follow the routine, don’t think about anything unnecessary and keep on going._

Luckily, he’s not super close with majority of the workplace, so it’s pretty easy to just blend into the background and get his work done hastily without any interruptions. It’s quiet for a few days.

That is, until one afternoon Sae stops by his desk.

“Akechi.” She states morosely. Akechi looks up, already smiling before letting it settle, pretending to look concerned. He’s in no mood for any of this, but he can’t straight up tell her to go away, either. Despite his own problems, he does have a duty to act a certain way in public.

“I wanted to see how you’re holding up.” She says, sitting across from him. He freezes.

“Pardon?” He asks. She couldn’t have known, right? He blinks at her wordlessly, waiting for her to follow up.

She frowns. “I heard from my sister, Makoto… About your friend’s disappearance. How are you doing?”

 _Oh. right._ The cops would have been notified if Akira Kurusu had suddenly disappeared overnight. He sighs out a breath of relief, but he hopes Sae doesn’t pay attention too much to the reaction, or decides the odd notion as a coping method.

“...I’m not doing okay.” He confesses, releasing the words with a big exhale. Despite the act, it’s probably the most honest thing he’s said in a while. Even if Sae doesn’t know the context, it’d probably be fine to be truthful, in this situation.

He’s so damn _mad_ at Akira. He’s glad Akira’s gone. But another part of him withers at the fact that he listened to Akechi, and really did leave town. Was he planning to hurt Goro when he least expected it, now?...Or was he truthful in all that he said all those nights before, and Goro was in the wrong all along?

The idea that he was honest with Goro, and he wasn’t going to see Akira again leaves a significant weight on his heart.

He wishes he could shoot down his feelings, at times like this. Be rid of them once and for all, and become the stone cold hitman Shido thought he was.

“...Of course you aren’t.” Sae says knowingly, lips downturned and eyes pained. She doesn’t reach out a hand—they were close, but she was never the affectionate type. He didn’t mind. 

“If it’s any consolation, I’m sorry to hear it. I hope he turns up safe soon.” She gives him a sympathetic smile, eyebrows drawn in close together.

He smiles back. Conceals what he’s actually thinking. “Thank you. I hope so as well.”

“... I know you’re the quiet sort, Akechi, but if you ever need to talk to someone… You know I’ll be there.” she trails off, searching his eyes.

He nods faintly at her. Too considerate for someone like him. _I’m the one that made him disappear in the first place, after all._

“I understand. If I need to talk about it, I won’t hesitate.”

She grins and nods, lightly patting him on the shoulder as she passes, and allows him to get back to his work.

Unsurprisingly, he doesn’t get anything solid done for the rest of the day.

~

With the knowledge that even Sae knew of Akira’s disappearance, there was the unresolved matter that he hasn't spoken a word to Futaba yet. She was probably going nuts about it, and so focused on himself, he totally forgot that he’d have to play a part in front of her, too.

It’s not that he wasn’t concerned for his sisters’ well-being, but… with all that happened, he first figured some distance would be necessary. 

What he doesn’t want to admit, is it won’t be too hard to act sorrowful in front of her.

He might have to sit down with her and explain what really happened, if it came down to it. Not his job, per se, but the fact that he discovered Akira Kurusu was a vampire and it wouldn’t be safe for him to stay in the same house as her.

His original plan was to console her and act pained by the loss, going unnoticed since they were so close and friendly up until his disappearance. But considering the time he’d been absent without questioning her where Kurusu disappeared to, it might seem odd to suddenly react concerned.

But first, he’ll gauge her reaction before he decides what to act like.

When he opens the door to Leblanc, however, it plays out differently than any of the scenarios he expects.

Futuba is sitting at the tabletop and talking to Sojiro, looking downtrodden as planned. When they notice him there, they stare at him for a moment. No welcome is given, and the mood is somber and quiet as he thought it would be. But only for a moment before his assumptions go awry, and hell breaks loose.

Futaba looks angry now, fire lit in her eyes as she jumps off her stool to approach him, movements quite hostile and agitated, especially for her.

“ _What did you do?!_ ” She yells in his face. He flinches from the force of her voice and accusation. His usually meek and skittish sister was... screaming at him.

“I...sorry?” This isn’t the treatment he expected. And it’s not like there’s any other customers in the shop, so it’s not like he can tell her to keep it down for their sake. He hadn’t seen her this mad in a long, long time.

“I sure hope you are!” she says. “You figured it out, and you told him to leave!” She looks so frustrated and mad. Akechi feels confused—what? Did she—?

She answers his questions for him. Maybe it’s written across his face. “I knew already, Akechi—I knew about him being a vampire.” His body goes cold. “I knew, and despite your job, I was hoping you would try and understand him. You told him to leave—It had to be you.” She has tears in her eyes, now.

Futaba knew? But when he brought her up to Akira, he never said a thing...

“Futaba,” He starts, not knowing where to begin. “I—You knew about him, and yet you let him stay?” and his job, too? He didn’t know what to bring up, first.

She throws her hands up. “Duh! Of course?!” She yells, like he’s an idiot.

By the way Sojiro looks at the fight from afar, the cold hard stare he’s giving him, Goro’s starting to think he just might be one. He feels so out of the loop, for once. Definitely outsmarted by his sister, for one. He didn’t plan what to say to her in this scenario. He didn’t expect it.

He blinks back annoyance, and pushes the feelings of unnerve and uncertainty down. He knew what he was doing, and what he did. Now would be a dumb time to become uncertain. 

“Futaba, he was _a vampire._ If you knew that, then you know he wasn’t getting blood from a vending machine. He was taking it from someone. By force, or by murder. Is that still fine with you?” 

She stares at him. “I—” she looks stumped. He almost smirks in triumph, but she continues. “He wouldn’t do either of those things! Yeah, okay—He has to eat too, and blood isn’t exactly my ideal nutrient supplement—” She grumbles, “—but he does what he has to to survive! And I know he didn’t hurt anyone here for blood.” She says.

Eyebrows drawn together, she adds, “You were killing vampires around Shibuya, right? Don’t tell me you thought you were in the right with that!”

He stares in shock, then narrows his eyes. He shouldn't have doubted his sister’s ability to see through it all. And despite what he told Akira to frame him and keep Futaba on his side, he didn’t foresee this— he should have known Akira would share his intel with her. He should have been more careful after all. 

“ _They_ are unfeeling murderers, Futaba. They’ve killed hundreds of humans just in the last few years in Tokyo. Am I not doing the world a favor?”

She stares at him in shock for a solid moment. “No! What is wrong with you?” she screeches. “None of them are unfeeling— _yeah, okay,_ there’s some bad ones out there! There’s some bad humans, too!” She glares at him. “Akira was one of the good ones. He was honest, and we knew all about him when Sojiro took him in. Sojiro took him in _because_ of it, actually. He wasn’t putting on a show to steal our blood or anything like you said, we already got that covered for him.” 

Tears bubble up in her eyes, now. “He cared about us. And he cared about _you,_ too. And you broke his heart, and now he left—because you asked him to, didn’t you?”

Akechi is silent.

“Akira is an idiot.” She sniffles with a wet cough. “Of course he left when you told him to. You know what he said to me, the day before he went onto that amusement park date with you?”

She’s staring at him, waiting for an answer. His shoulders slump, slightly. He has a bad feeling about this. 

“...What did he say?”

“He told me how happy he was,” She retorts, “That you asked him out first. He couldn’t focus on anything else, and he kept breaking Sojiro’s dishes he was so out of it.” She snorts a watery laugh. Akechi feels sick again. “And you know what? He was like that every other day, too. Always talking about you, always excited to _see_ you. And while I just wanted to know what you were up to, he wanted to actually get to know you, and drag you out of whatever mess you were in, convinced you were stuck. And you—” She says, and then stabs a finger at his chest. “—Just. Didn’t listen to any of it, did you? Did you even try to listen to what he said, or did you not even let him speak, and just point your gun at him?”

He feels a lot of emotions bubble up in his chest. He’s so pissed. Pissed that Futaba was completely right, and he knows it, but wants to deny the accusations till his last breath. He’s pissed that even at gunpoint, Akira didn’t mention that Futaba and Sojiro already knew. That he didn’t defend himself, or share any of this information that he knew now because of Futaba’s coming forward. That Akira just passively listened to what he asked, in the end. 

Despite the impulse to play it cool, he can’t keep quiet about his feelings, this time. The defenses rise up like bile in his throat, and he can’t help but spit them out, way past his limit of feelings to just bottle them like this.

“...You’re right about it all.” He laughs darkly, changing the subject. “But It doesn’t even matter if you or Akira change my opinion on what my job is. If I were to stop now, I’ll be killed, too.”

Futaba pales, eyes wide and thrown off. “We can think of something to get you out together, can’t we?”

He shakes his head. “No—and you know what? Even if Kurusu was kind hearted in nature—which is all speculation, on your part—the ones I’ve already gotten rid of aren’t guaranteed to be innocent by any means. The man I’m working for—He sends me after targets that are causing problems in the city. I’m doing good work here, Futaba! I’m keeping the city safe, okay?” He says, voice high at this point. “The ones I’ve killed alongside ordered tasks can’t possibly be much better. They all showed up at the smell of blood too, ready to kill.” he laughs. “If Kurusu was as kind as you say, it’s because he might have not fit the norm. Or maybe he just had a steady blood supply— If he were to be short on blood, he would be just like the rest of them.” He grins. “manic, blood-driven, and wouldn’t hesitate to kill. It’s just the way it is.”

Futaba frowns. “No—You’re wrong, Akechi. He wasn’t like that at all!”

“Wasn’t he, though?” Goro blinks. “He fell victim to my blood the other night as well, you know. He didn’t even seem to recognize me when I cut my hand-- only cared about the blood on them, after I’d tested him.” he reports. “He failed. Just like the rest of them.”

Futaba goes pale, but holds her ground. “He didn’t tell me that…” She murmurs. Goro grins, victorious. Sojiro, in the background, looks away.

“See? Like I said. You were hosting quite the criminal, after all.” He almost feels cheery. His sister could be brought to his side on this, after all. He wouldn’t lose her to Akira, the bloodthirsty—

“That’s even _worse!”_ She says, shocking him out of his thoughts. “What’s the point of taunting him, Akechi? What would you _expect_ if you were to do that?” She cries. “Of course he’s attracted to blood—Even the night you were bleeding out, he was holding back. But he doesn’t _want_ to hurt you, and there’s the difference. Why can’t you see that?”

And that does strike a chord with Goro in the worst of ways. He knew what Akira looked like first hand after that event. He looked so horrified beyond belief the other night, nothing like any expression Akira had ever given him before. It was part of the reason he couldn’t pull the trigger, so off-put by the look in his eyes. _The horror._

Goro wasn’t awake the night of his injury, but he wonders if Akira had acted or looked similar at that time. Stricken. Conflicted. _Pained._

She takes note of his silence. “...I’ll do anything I can to help you get out of that job if you need it,” She whispers. “But what you’re doing is wrong, and I hope you’re lying out of denial, not because you truly believe what you said, about it being for the greater good.” she wipes her eyes, and he’s now noticing her horribly red eyes along with the thin purple bags underneath, cheeks blotchy. “I know who you work for. I tapped your phone, myself.” He feels the color drain from his skin. “But despite him, I know if you relied on us, we could get you out. Together. It’s never too late to start over.” She says in confidence. “Until you think about it… Don’t come back for a while, okay?”

She never spoke like that, so resigned. Rather than her usual skipping, positive attitude, she doesn’t spare him another glance as she treads up the stairs with a hurt look on her face, biting her lip so hard it might bleed. He’s frozen in the spot, watching as she retreats up the stairs. 

He turns to Sojiro, who doesn’t look much happier. He’s got a frown on his lips and his eyebrows drawn together, but he mostly looked disappointed rather than furious. He sighs, after a moment.

“I would give her some time alone,” Sojiro suggests. He looks away. “We’ve all made mistakes before, but don’t continue to make them if you’re feeling doubtful.” He frowns. “What you’re doing isn’t good. Whether you believe it’s right, or you’re just lying for the sake of keeping us out of it…” he shakes his head. “Just consider her offer, okay? I’ve got connections, too. We’re a family, everything else aside. We’ll help you, if you ask for it.”

“Even against Shido?” Goro chuckles humorlessly, trying to find some sort of grip on reality right now. Everyone was against him, huh?

“Even against Shido.” Sojiro confirms. “She’s mad at you, but she’d do anything to help you, Akechi. You’re important to us. You know that.”

Akechi smiles, a little sadly. “I wanted to avoid getting the both of you involved, if at all possible. It seems none of my plans are as well thought out as I’d hoped.” He shakes his head. “I’ll keep my distance, as she asked. ...I’m sorry to have caused a disturbance in Leblanc. Goodbye, Sojiro.”

“Akechi!” Sojiro calls sternly.

He exits Leblanc, and doesn’t look back.

He was on his own for real, now.

~

For someone who conditioned himself to be happiest when by himself, he sure felt upset everywhere he went, now.

Because everywhere he goes, he’s reminded by anything and everything about Akira Kurusu. He even mistakes hooded figures with his posture or hairstyle for him when walking around Shibuya.

Then there’s the diner. He can’t go there anymore, because it’ll taint the already fading nice memories he had there. Goro can’t window shop either, it’s like he’s cursed now, and every little thing he sees brings up _some_ memory of Akira for him.

It’s driving him insane, and it feels like he’s rather quickly losing it.

Before, he felt fine acting, because at least Futaba an Sojiro would have his back, even if he was lying. But now they knew the truth. Because of Akira, and his horribly thought out plans and bad acting towards his family.

They were the only people he knew how to run to for support other than Akira himself, and now he didn’t have them, either.

With nobody to talk to these things about, his thoughts about what he did and didn’t know anymore spun in circles in his head as he tried to act like a normal citizen and go about his daily business, feeling lost in the crowds of Shibuya, as he waited for a purpose.

The only person left on his side anymore was Shido, and he didn’t trust him as far as he could throw him. 

Goro frowns at the ground, lost in thought as people shove past him.

He was so good at ruining any good thing going for him.

~

A week and a half later, he gets another job.

Shido sends him the text, and without looking at his phone, he knows it’s Shido. Akira’s number is blocked. Futaba is mad at him. Sojiro is working, and also mad at him. 

It’s a request (order) to rid of a man known for lurking behind the back alleys in central street, preying on those who come by the area. It was a shady place for business, apparently.

Before he knows it, Goro was on the train and clenching his briefcase tightly between gloved hands. He knows why he’s so anxious about this job, but he can’t help it. What if Futaba was right after all, about Akira, and other vampires? What about Akira? What if on one of these jobs, he ran into him? What if—

_No more what ifs._

He closes his eyes and leans back against the cool glass window of the train. He already made up his mind long ago, he needed to stop thinking like this. He wasn’t supposed to falter with this stuff anymore. He promised himself, his mother, all those years ago, he’d bring justice where he could. So things like what happened to her didn’t happen to anyone else. Even if his family didn’t agree. Even if it meant he couldn’t see Akira anymore… he’d promised himself.

 

But didn’t his ideals change along the line? Was he really doing this for justice, anymore? Or just the mediocre congratulations he got from Shido after some of his missions?

He watches the tracks pass, and feels the gloom settle heavily over him.

...Well. It was probably too late, now.

~

When he rounds the corner of central street, he can see a man hauling garbage and hucking it into trash bins. He’s scruffy looking, and got grayish, short hair. Tall, with a cap on and a strange small tattoo on the side of his neck. He was wearing double layers, both a turtleneck and a coat. It wasn’t even cold out, so he wonders about the choice briefly.

Goro wasn’t willing to get closer to see the specifics on that one. There’s an easier test to see if this is the target he wants.

With precision, he cuts a small slice on his palm with a silver blade, the opposite to the one he used for his dramatically deep cut to show Akira. That one was still healing, after all.

As he hoped, the man’s figure freezes, and his head lifts up to peer around, even at the smallest sign of blood. Those gold eyes look around like ones of a hawk, zoning in before zeroing right in on Goro. Damn.

Those features immediately turn sharp, and Goroi runs toward him, gun in hand. The man throws himself backward, pulling out a gun of his own from somewhere underneath his coat, focusing it on Goro and leaving him surprised. 

Ah, that was why he had such bulky outerwear. Goro grins. But it was odd--Vampires didn’t usually carry weapons. Especially deranged, feral ones.

“Caught off guard?” Goro snarks. “You probably shouldn’t stay in the same place for too long. Makes it easier for you to get caught by someone like me.”

“What do you want, kid?” The man grunts, sounding calm. “Just put the gun away.” he tisks, clearly not much up for a chat.

“Unfortunately, I can’t walk away after hearing off multiple people going missing in the area and finding you so conveniently here. Considering you are here, did you just clean up your mess?”

The man squints, confused. He doesn’t change his stance, and still calmly holds the gun up, which slightly unnerves Goro. “What?” the man gruffly asks.

“No need to play dumb.” Goro comments lightly. “You’re the only vampire here right now.”

The man sighs. “Look, kid—”

A sound chimes behind them, breaking his concentration.

“Dad?” a voice comes from behind.

The man in front of him freezes, and Goro tries as best as he can to conceal his gun in front of him without taking it off the vampire. He looks pale, eyes gone clear and dark once again, no traces of gold.

“Be right there, Kaoru.” The man responds.

“Do… you want me to wait inside?” Kaoru asks, hesitantly. Goro looks behind at him, briefly. His blood was almost dry by now, but if that guy was also a vampire, wouldn’t his eyes have changed by now? He would have shown… something. The kid’s hair was dark, and he was wearing a Shujin uniform. A local school...

He looks back to the vampire, staring somewhat nervously from Goro to the boy he called ‘Kaoru’. Akechi pieces it together.

Oh.

 _Oh._

He had a familial connection to the student, one who didn’t seem to know much about what was taking part in front of his eyes. His so called ‘dad’ was even trying to conceal his weapon in front of the stranger holding a gun to him.This vampire isn’t who he was looking for, was it? 

Just… another vampire. 

Morality flits back and forth in his head. This wasn’t the vampire he was looking for… but… he was still a vampire.

 _One with a family,_ His brain says. _One with a son, a human son, who would be left alone if I offed this guy, just as bad as the people who killed my mother—_

Goro’s hold lightens on the gun, thoughts swaying as he still pointed it at the mans’ heart. It was the only way to kill a vampire other than a headshot, after all. Even if it missed the heart, a shot from a silver bullet could incapacitate a vampire long enough to kill it properly.

Despite the facts… it feels like a bad idea. It went against all his beliefs, which were starting to become clear again, lately.

He feels like an idiot. An ameteur. Had he really jumped so fast to conclusion he couldn’t piece a simple thing like _having the wrong target_ together? If it were before, he might’ve shot this man without hesitation, but…

Akira’s face pops into his mind again, his blood covered and sad face burned into his retinas.

He almost tears a hole in his own lip with his teeth. The man doesn’t even blink, gun still trained on him, but looking curious.

“...I apologize. You weren’t who I was looking for, after all.” He retreats, pulling his gun back, hoping he wouldn’t be shot instead. But the man puts his gun back, too. Watches Goro as he left the scene in a rush. He’s honestly surprised the vampire hadn’t shot him. But maybe a standoff was easier than getting into an actual gunfight behind a populated street.

Threats were easy, after all. But that man wouldn't have even brought a gun out if Goro hadn’t done it first.

Which meant Goro was the messed up one, back there. Pulling a gun on someone with such little knowledge… 

But that’s what he’d been doing all along, right? Killing without asking questions. The thought almost could make him sick, now.

_What am I even doing?_

If it were like before, that vampire would have been laying dead, no matter the circumstances.

If it were before, he wouldn’t have cared if the onlooker had waited all night, and shot the vampire to put him out of his misery without a care, just to clean the street.

It wasn’t like before, though. 

He’d gone soft from meeting Akira, it seemed.

That, and… he really might have been wrong about them all along. 

That vampire had been completely minding his own, stable, clear eyes that regarded him with curiosity and sternness, a warning to back down from a fight. He didn’t seem to be bloodthirsty, or want the trouble between them. Goro started it. That man just seemed concerned Goro would turn on his son.

Futaba was right. Sojiro was right. Akira was right, and he was telling the truth, and now he was _gone—_

Why hadn’t he seen vampires like them around before?

Or, had he just never given them a chance before now, and killed anyone Shido had ordered mistakenly or not, without a worry in the world?

When he gets home, he tosses his gun aside in a rush, and buries himself under the covers.

Why had it taken him so long to realize?

~

“You failed to kill your target last night.” Shido says, ruffling through papers at his desk, not a sounds other than the flip of paper. It felt deadly.

Goro stood in front of him, called in after being alerted all too quickly of his failure.

“There was a mishap, and when I arrived, there was someone else there, instead.”

“Vampire?”

“Yes, but there was a human present as well.”

“So?” Shido asks, still looking at any of his work instead of Goro. As if he was bored with his presence, uncaring. 

Goro blinks. “So, I wasn’t about to shoot one minding its own business, especially with risk of someone seeing.”

“And why not?” Shido says. “If you couldn’t be rid of the actual target, why show up with two losses like this? What if that one becomes a problem down the line?”

Was Shido… actually insane? 

“For you your sake.” Goro clears his throat. “Had the police been called by the human man who saw, I didn’t want evidence of your involvement was found on my person, or any suspicion being lead back to you over such a small problem. I apologize, sir. It won’t happen again.”

“Hm. I see.” Shido mumbles, seemingly interested in other things among his workspace. “And… No, It won’t happen again. I expect better results next time around, understand?” Shido says, ominously. A direct order.

“I promise it won’t.” Goro confirms with a slight bow, before excusing himself.

He can't pinpoint it, but he felt like… Shido could feel his hesitance leaking through, after all this time. It seemed like a warning. He’s never messed up, but now he was worried.

He had a bad feeling about all this.

~

Goro figures, now more than ever, he’s alone. And that fact doesn’t sit well with him.

Shido wanting him to attack people in the open, regardless of the consequences? That was too bold of a move, and even Akechi could tell he was just being rash at this point, too concerned in his own agenda to realize the severity of what he was doing. He’d known Shido didn’t care for more than his own fame, in the end, but this…

At this rate, he would throw Akechi under the bus, as if he was expecting Goro to get caught for the sake of getting a job done, taking the fall for him.

It’s just another painful reminder that he’s just disposable to everyone around him.

Except.. Maybe Akira. And his family. But fixing this isn't exactly going to be a walk in the park.

But if he was going to take action, now would be the time. He still felt a gnawing sensation in his chest at the thought of the fight he had with Futaba.

He’d been a fool.

She was right, after all. And Goro was a dead man whether he continued working for Shido, or attempted leaving the business, at this point. His only chance would be if he had help.

He had to make it up to her. Then, just maybe, she’d forgive him. And if it were fated… perhaps he’d see Kurusu again, too. If only to apologize. And If he didn’t die first.

~

Futaba wasn’t a cheap buy when it came to make-up presents. He exits the store in Akihabara a lot poorer, with a lightweight figurine in a colorful bag. He didn’t know the name of the plastic character model he just bought—only that Futaba had sent him a picture a month prior, telling him she wanted it.

They’d fought badly once before—it had been a week long thing where they didn’t speak to one another. It was his fault then, too. It was when he was leaving the Sakura household when he was 17, determined to get his own place now with a job at the police department. 

Futaba had been angry with him for that, trying to get him to stay. Sojiro too, had problems with him moving out the second he landed a job, not bothering to stay around past that. Goro had assured them he just wanted his own space, and he was grateful for all they’d done, but it was… a little hard to explain to people that you felt like you were intruding on them. Sometimes he felt like he was only there because his mother had passed, and he was unwanted in the Sakura household as well, it just went unspoken.

Sojiro was a good man. He seemed to understand without Goro telling him, and assured him it wasn’t the case. That had meant a lot to Goro—but he still felt the need to leave. Even with all the fun times they shared, he still felt distant in the Sakura household. But it was his own issue, and not theirs. At that point, Sojiro had accepted that much, telling him that he’d allow it, if it made him feel more comfortable. 

Then he only had to make it up to Futaba.

At the time, she confessed to just being angry because she would miss him. He listened to her complaints and anger as best as he could before striking a deal with her, that he had to visit on his free days. He could at least agree to that price, considering the new arrangement made him feel less like a burden.

Futaba didn’t come around easily though, that time. He figures it might be even harder to get her to listen to him in their present fight—and that’s where presents came into the picture.

Knowing her, she most likely wouldn't even open her door unless there was something to bait her out, leaving an opening for him to say his piece to her before she got upset and retreated to her room again.

Usually, he’d buy her something smaller. But considering he almost killed her best friend and his almost boyfriend, well. He certainly better make the pitch good for this one. He was still shocked at how expensive her collectibles were, though.

The trains are as swift as usual, and the chatter amongst the passengers flows by his ears, mostly unheard as he ponders how he was going to phrase his apology.

It’s late when the exits the train, and he’s rounding the alley corners without even paying attention. 

It’s when he gets to the cafe that he drops the bag out of shock.

The door was… busted open, swaying loosely. The glass had been shattered in the top window pane.

_No._

He bolts into the doorway, paling at the sight. The shop was in disarray, opaque and clear glass from cups and bowls littering the floor. The floor was trampled. Dirty. Stained black, with vampire blood. There’s legs sticking out from behind the counter, and Goro bolts to the figure without a moment's’ pause.

He breathes a sigh of relief to see it was a strange older vampire, dull gold eyes eyes wide and dead, bleeding black blood from the mouth. Not Sojiro.

But when he squints, it kind of looks like...The man from his first incident he had on the train platform. The one the police were looking for.

It couldn’t be, could it?

Goro hears a whimper from upstairs, and bolts up the creaky boards, almost tripping on his own feet. He was so disturbed by what was downstairs, he got sidetracked from finding Futaba and Sojiro.

The steps up are covered in black blood, too.

It’s a worse sight awaiting him when he gets up there. A puddle of black soaks into the floor, smeared from a body dragged onto the side of the room. Futaba is shaking and leaning over someone, rubbing at her eyes and hair falling messily over her face. He feels the color drain from him and his throat go dry when he realized who he was looking at, perched awkwardly and injured in front of her.

A bloodied Akira lied at the side of the room, clothes blood soaked and spattered, probably a mix of the other vampire’s blood, and his own. He looked worse for wear, sitting up with Futaba’s help at an awkward angle, leaning against one of the shelves and trying to soothe her in a quiet voice, clearly trying to work her through anxiety of sorts, holding at a gushing wound at the abdomen. 

Goro swallows, and treads closer. The boards give him away, and Akira hasn’t even seen him before he’s throwing an arm in front of Futaba, protective as always. His posture relaxes when he sees it was Goro, and he slumps back into the wall, without energy. 

“Futaba,” He asks, voice thick. “What happened? Are you injured or bitten?”

She shakes her head. “No! I’m fine, but Akira…” she sniffs. “ He...He tried to protect me from that guy downstairs. Sojiro left the shop to me and Akira but… but.” she whimpers again and her eyes fill up with tears, and Goro realizes Akira’s wound was still bleeding significantly. His eyes narrow.

He didn’t see a gun or knife lying about downstairs… but the vampire must have used a silver knife or bullets to inflict injury. otherwise it would already be healing. 

From what he knew, there was only one way to fix this kind of wound for a vampire. He never really thought so much of the healing aspect after the use of silver, since he was so used to injuring vampires like this as a means to off them easier.

Healing a wound like this would be a first for him.

“Futaba. Was the dead one downstairs the only vampire to come in?” He asks, calmly as possible. 

“Y-yes?” She says, rubbing her eyes. “There was only one…”

He sighs. Pulls his gun and phone from his trench coat pocket. Futaba’s eyes widen as he passes it to her. 

“Take these. Lock yourself in the downstairs bathroom, and call Sojiro. Tell him to call the police, and not to come here himself.”

Futaba’s eyes widen. “What? What are you going to do?”

He closes his eyes. “Gonna patch this guy up. No doubt vampires can smell the blood coming from here for miles, though. If someone else dangerous comes, I don’t want them to find you. Okay?”

She looks between Akira and him. “But…”

“I’ll get help.” He promises softly. “Just go. I don’t want anything happening to you, too.” He says. And then with eye contact he says, “I promise, Futaba.” He wasn’t planning on lying to her again.

After looking conflicted, she looks to Akira, who nods briefly in her direction. She wipes at her cheeks again, and practically runs downstairs, with the last words of, “I’ll call Tae, too! She’ll be able to help!”

Goro turns to Akira, who was paler than ever, grinning fondly at him, eyes dim and glazed over. The gold glow in them was dull as well. Almost like that of the dead vampire downstairs. 

_At this rate, he might not be so far off from death himself._ Goro thinks, panicked. _Time to act fast._

He tries to remain calm though. The worst thing you could do was act more panicked than the injured victim, worrying them as well as preventing yourself from acting rationally. He doesn’t blame Futaba for her panicked response though, knowing how she wasn’t so good with this stuff, and could sometimes shut down in the face of a problem this extreme. The last time she’d seen this much blood was probably... when her mother died.

Clearly, Akira doesn’t fault her for it either if the smile he gives her as she runs off is anything to go by. Once she’s out of sight though, he slumps down further, coughing out more blood, looking absolutely exhausted as he watches Goro languidly.

Goro kneels down where Futaba was. Looks to Akira for consent, before brushing that cold hand with his own, and moving it away from the tender wound. Sure enough, there was a bullet hole right in his side, skin around it burnt and singed from the offending silver.

“Did you take the bullet out, already?” He asks Akira, voice serious.

He’s responded to with a slow nod from Akira, black inky hair dipping into his eyes, some sticking to his forehead from sweat. He didn’t seem to be there all that much.

Goro frowns. “Then why isn’t it healing?” He wants confirmation.

“Haven’t drank since a while ago,” He snorts, tiredly. “Didn’t feel like it. Don’t have enough energy to fix it, now,”

Goro sighs. That’s what he expected, but… He knows what that meant. 

Even now, Akira was trying to spare him some grief, telling him indirectly that it was because of their fight. Goroi knew what “a while” meant. He could read between the lines.

Goro shakes his head with a sigh. “So what, were you just never planning on drinking again because of me?” Akira shrugs in response, almost lifeless, and it hurts to watch.

“Did you send Futaba away so you could finish the job?” Akira asks, sleepily. With a small smirk, as if that’s what he expected out of this alone time. Goro’s heart throbs in pain. He knows it’s a shot, one that Akira muchly had a right to have throw his way, but it still hurts. The guilt weighs him down.

“No,” He denies, with a soft grunt. “Quite the opposite, actually.” Akira watches him with innocent confusion, questions in his tired eyes.

He’d come here to apologize to Futaba. He didn’t even know if he’d see Akira again, much less be able to talk to him like this. He wasn’t about to let Akira die, either.

Especially not after proving him wrong in the end, and saving his sister from the vampire who had tried to kill him, too.

Hopefully, Goro would get a chance to apologize to both of them properly, later.

For now, he tugs Akira up carefully, ignoring the painful grunt he makes at being hauled upward. Goro balances him on his lap, Akira’s head by his neck. Akira practically shakes in his arm, whether from holding back, or from some newfound fear of Goro, he doesn’t know.

“Akechi—what are you—?”

“I jumped to conclusions before, and it made my life a living hell for a while.” Goro snorts. “I know it won’t fix things between us, but I don’t want you to die, either. Especially not because you were being stubborn and decided against drinking blood for two weeks.”

“Whose fault is that?” Akira mutters, and Goro hears a faint smile in his tone. He snorts.

“Mine.” He pushes Akira’s head closer to his neck. “Go on, now.”

Akira tenses up, and tries to back away. Goro doesn’t let him. He doesn’t really want to look Akira in the eyes right now, either. So that means holding him in place.

“Akechi, please.” he whispers, hands still shaking. “Don’t. I don’t want you to hate me.”

Goro feels the guilt hit his chest like a full blown punch once again. He closes his eyes, and breathes deeply. “I said I wouldn’t let you die, Akira. Go on.”

“I—”

“I won't hold it against you again. That was cruel of me, and I’m sorry.” Goro promises, closing his hand in the dark mop of hair he missed running his hands through. He bites his lip. “I’m… sorry. For _everything_ I did.”

He feels Akira shudder against him, before his breath grew more hoarse and ragged.

“Okay. Don’t hate me.” Akira says, before pulling him close, hands woven tightly around Goro, as to hold him stable.Goro just closes his eyes, letting the smell of Akira comfort him as he held on tight.

The fangs are painful, and make him gasp out. That part is unavoidable, he knows. Akira’s hands grip him all the more tightly, the ones around his waist locking into the back of his shirt and gripping him close. Goro is the same, holding onto Akira’s shoulders like a lifeline as he feels the warm feeling of irritation spread across the skin around his neck, not a drop of blood missing Akira’s mouth. He shivers when Akira’s tongue licks at his skin, eager for the warm blood, determined to not let any dribble down past his shirt.

He starts to feel lightheaded, like a buzz of alcohol was coursing through his veins. His grip started to lessen on Akira’s shoulder, and he pats it. Whether the action was to inform him he was losing consciousness, or just to encourage him further, he’s not really sure. It’s all hazy at that point.

Despite the initial pain, this was nothing like what happened at the train station in comparison. Nothing to fear like when he was a child, alone and helpless, either. 

Akira made him feel safe, and held him so tightly, almost like he was afraid to let go.

Goro kind of wants to cry.

He’s pretty sure he’s out of it, and might think the overkill feeling of sentimentality was dumb when he woke up again, later.

When Akira pulls back, he doesn’t lie Goro down or anything. Instead, he pulls him away just enough to lock eyes with him, like that night where he told Akira the truth about his mother.

The look on Akira’s face was similar, too. Akira’s gold irises seemed rejuvenated, almost shining, now. It’s distracting, and Goro can’t speak, but he smiles to the best of his ability.

Akira’s smile back at him is what he sees before he goes under, once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!! Sorry for the late update. it's because I finished Persona 5!!! which means as soon as i finish this fic, i plan to write a fixit fic.... my goal was to do one once I had finished the game lmfao  
> I need... a better ending for Akechi. Enough said lol
> 
> Also!! This fic is going to be extended by yet another chapter!!! I said it would be 3 chapters but i am a bad liar and it will be 6. Ive thoroughly planned the last pieces out at this point, so that's the final number.  
> This chapter is literally just as dramatic as the last one lel but i hope you all like it anyway!! I'd love to know your thoughts <3 Thanks for reading~


	5. Chapter 5

When Goro wakes, he’s greeted with the distant sound of people talking, resonating like vague mumbles in his ears. There’s red and blue lights flashing lightly through the fogged window, but no sirens. He’s comfortable, and realizes he’s been moved to Akira’s mattress from the hard floor. Akira is stationed at his side, quick to avert his attention to Goro once he realizes he’s awoken. He tries to sit up. Akira is fast to push him down gently—or at least, attempts to.

“How long was I out?” Goro asks, pushing upwards anyway. The world spun a bit, but he clutches onto Akira’s arm, who lets him—holding another hand out to catch him in case he falters from dizziness. His grip is reassuring and strong; His eyes are bright and lingering on him, grey and dark as usual.

“A few minutes.” Akira says.“The police just got here, and Futaba is with Sojiro downstairs, explaining the situation. The police are gathering the body and evidence of the quarrel. Futaba informed me they’ll most likely clean the scene, and assume this was a defense situation with minimal questioning.” 

Goro nods. “Makes sense…” He trails off, looking at Akira up and down. “Are you… healed yet?”

Akira gives him a soft smile, an oh, Goro’s heart starts beating wildly again, just from a quirk of the lips. He never really thought Akira would look at him this way again, after all. Not after what he did. 

He’s missed this.

Akira pulls up the hem of his shirt, exposing his stomach. Sure enough, there’s a lighter scarred section of skin where the would was only minutes ago bleeding and very much deadly. “I’m fine, thanks to you. See?” Akira says, and Goro looks away.

“...It’s my fault in the first place, remember?” he says, feeling awful. The guilt creeps up his throat again for his actions, making him almost nauseated.

“Hey,” Akira frowns. A soft, cold hand caresses Goro’s cheek, beckoning him to look to Akira. He does so, biting his lip. The guilt seems to press tenfold with those brilliant steel eyes looking upon him so openly.

“It’s okay.” Akira nods. “You came back, didn’t you? If it weren’t for you, I’d be dead, and Futaba probably would have still been in shock from everything that happened. If anyone else came from the smell of blood—she would have been in danger, and I wouldn’t have been able to protect her in the state I was in. Do you understand?”

Goro jerkily nods. “Y-yes, but still…” He grits his teeth. “If I hadn’t acted so hateful towards you or judged you, this all could have been… avoided. I was wrong, and—”

Akira clamps a hand over his mouth. “We don’t need to talk about it. You already apologized, remember?”

Goro rips the hand off, not unkindly. He needed to say this. “I said sorry, and that’s it. I didn’t even explain why. Don’t be so forgiving—I could have killed you.” He swallows. “I was _going_ to kill you.”

Akira grins. “But you didn’t. You may have scared me, but I think if you were just trying to protect your sister and Sojiro, asking me to leave Tokyo. Weren’t you?”

“No,” Goro hisses. Why was Akira always trying to see the best in him? It could be borderline infuriating. “I was working for my father, a politician. I _hate_ him, and he’s never loved me at all, but… We had similar goals, when it came to vampires.” He feels his shoulders slump. “He would send me on any missions he deemed important enough, to get rid of any one causing a threat, trying to make it seem like his messages were actually helping the community, and preventing violence by just eliminating the issue behind the scenes.” He grabs at his pant leg. “I’ve killed too many, Akira. I’d—” He breathes. “I’d kill bystanders who witnessed what I did, too. To save him, and me. It’s what I was employed for. I thought it was _right_.”

Akira remains silent, letting him speak. 

“All my life, I thought that vampires were all such awful, cunning creatures. I thought I was doing the world a favour. Shido took that as enough for me to work with him—having similar ideals—as long as I didn’t reveal to the public that I was his bastard child. And,” He swallows, trying to catch his breath. His next words are a little more quiet. “At one point… I think I did it hoping I could make a change, somewhere.”

Akira stares at him, waiting for him to expand the thought, but he seems to snap out of it, shaking his head. “It wasn’t that noble, though. I had Sojiro and Futaba to take care of me, but I felt like I was nothing more than a burden, even for them. I might have even started purely to get out of their hair, too.” He laughs humorlessly. “I was an _idiot._ I thought it was for the best, and I could support myself and make a change, and maybe get some recognition out of it from my father—” He sniffs. “—but it all became so messed up after I met you.” 

Akira grips his hands tightly. Comfortingly, showing he was there for him. He didn’t back off, either. Goro’s surprised he hadn’t walked out the door on him, yet. “What changed?” He asks.

Goro sniffles. “I’d never talked to a vampire before you, that I know of. I thought they all lived among the shadows, because that’s where i always hunted them off. I didn’t know. Maybe Shido wanted me to perceive it that way, to not know better, to stay unaware. He had more of a plan than I did, in the end.” He laughs bitterly.

After a moment and a deep breath, he continues. “I didn’t know what to think after I met you, Akira. I had my suspicions from the first date, but I just hoped I was wrong the whole time, dedicated to fulfilling my own personal goals if I was right, in the end.” He shakes his head. “But you ruined that, over time. I knew you were genuine, I think—I just didn’t want to admit it, or face the truth, that I’d been wrong about so much more than just you for so long. Since you were kind, I tried to think you couldn’t have been one.” He runs a hand over his eyes. “After our fight, I couldn’t even kill another vampire. My whole view had changed, and I couldn’t forget the face you made.” he grits his teeth. “I’m so sorry. You didn’t deserve what I did to you, after how kind you’ve been to me, through everything. ...You didn’t even tell me Futaba or Sojiro knew already. Why?”

Akira tilts his head, looking away, almost regretful. “I… didn’t exactly know if you’d do anything to harm them, if you knew they knew about me, and kept it silent.” Akira sheepishly scratches the back of his neck. “ I didn’t want to drag them down with me if anything were to happen between us. I didn’t want to involve them in my messes, either. I’m sorry.”

Goro nods, trying not to feel hurt. He could never hurt Sojiro or his sister, but he gets how Akira would be wary and not willing to risk it. Goro had acted deranged, when he confronted Akira that night with a gun. “...Yeah. That makes sense.”

After a moment, Akira pulls him close, clearly sensing he was a bit distraught over this. Goro feels himself tense before relaxing, nose buried in Akira’s collar. “I could have went about this better too, kay? I’m sorry, too.”

Goro nods into his chest, breathing him in, black blood-soaked shirt and all. “...It’s not, though.” He mumbles, annoyed. “If I had followed through with it, you wouldn’t be alive. ….and if _you_ weren’t here tonight, Futaba probably wouldn’t, either.” It was a sick thought to think about the could-have-beens now. But he’s glad it worked out fine, in the end. It was just… 

“Now I just can’t stop thinking about what other families I probably broke up from my recklessness.” Goro bites his lip. “I’m sorry.” He says again, breathless and vague. To Akira. To anyone.

Akira clutches his hands, pulling him close. Silence rings loudly around them for a few moments. “...It’s true you did some awful things, Goro.” Goro flinches, and Akira clutches his hands tighter. “But you weren’t working for someone who was interested in your well being, or helping you for good reason... He used _you_ and your vulnerabilities for his own benefit, and that’s on him. If you realize your mistakes, you can improve yourself, and change the way things are.” He smiles at Goro. “You can’t erase the past, but you’re responsible for your actions now. Doing good won’t cancel out bad actions, but I think you’re a better person than you seem to think if you’re willing to change from here on out.”

Goro smiles sadly. “You’re giving me too much credit. I didn’t want to change. I was selfish, and did it for my own benefit completely.” He bites his lip. “For my own gain and a misplaced sense of fulfillment, I let down everyone that mattered, in the end.” he frowns, eyes hurting again. “And just because you seem to forgive my selfishness and horrible actions, doesn’t mean anyone else would.”

“Goro. Have a little faith in the others, yeah?” Akira chides, getting to the heart of the problem easily. It seemed he was an open book. “Why don’t you talk to Futaba before you come to conclusions? I’ve already forgiven you for what you did to me—I’m sure she will too. She wanted you to change your mind, after all. She offered you help, too. What would be the point, if she never wanted to see you again?” He frowns. “I can’t speak for her fully, but I couldn’t hate you if I tried. I’m sure it’s the same for her and Sojiro.”

Goro bites his lip. “I… hope so.” after a moment, he adds. “Thank you.” Having Akira calm him down is more than he deserved, right now.

“It’s nothing.” Akira smiles. “I’m just glad you’re back, alright? We can work out anything else later.” He squeezes Goro tighter around the waist, the tips of his black hair tickling Goro just underneath the eye.

It wasn’t nothing, not to him. This meant _everything_ to Goro. he bites back more guilt at Akira’s words. 

He has another question before they completely drop the subject, though.

He pulls back, and Akira lets him, their hands still joined.

“If I may ask…” Goro starts, quietly. “Why did you look so sad, that night? When you tried my blood.” He swallows. This feels like a dumb question, alongside a serious moment. “Was it disgusting, or…”

It was something he was curious about, to be sure. 

Why was Akira so… appalled? He never thought he would want a vampire’s approval for the taste of his blood, but it was a little different when it was your almost-sort-of-boyfriend. And he looked so upset afterward. Sickly, even.

Akira snorts, and tries to cough over it. “Uh, ah, no. Your blood tastes fine.”

“So what was it, then?” He’s being persistent, but he kind of needs to know this. Did it taste bad? Would Akira break up with him because his blood tastes bad, even though they had gotten past the almost-murder part? _Oh God._

Akira tilts his head. “...Do you want to know the reason I came here in the first place?”

Goro blinks. Maybe Akira’s explanation needed some... pretense. He was very open to hearing what Akira was really here for, regardless. “If you’d share with me, then yes.” He’d love to know the truth, after all this time.

Akira sighs, leans back into the wall beside the window, and focuses on the ceiling. Their hands remain linked. “I Lived in a small town before this. Have you heard of Inaba?”

Goro blinks. “It’s... a few hours away, right?”

Akira nods. “That’s my hometown. I was born and raised there with both of my pure-blooded parents. I’m an only child.”

“You’re a pureblood?” Goro blurts. That was… rare, to say the least. Most vampires you cam across nowadays were changed and not born into it... But that’s not the point of his story. Goro shakes his head, and squeezes Akira’s fingers, as if prompting him to carry on.

“My family was pretty well known in the area—but it wasn’t a problem, considering their status.” 

And that’s another thing—the only real difference between the two, was that pure-blooded vampires didn’t turn psychotic as often. For changed vampires, they seemed to submit to madness from lack of a meal just a bit easier. If any vampires were outed in public among humans, they would often be purebloods—confident to share their heritage if that was the case. It was a higher level among them, to say the least. And though it didn’t promote much of a sense of safety, it was somewhat easier for them to mingle with humans if they weren’t quick to fall insane.

Akira bites his lip. “My family… They weren’t a problem in the town. I guess I was, quickly enough. One night—” He sighs, closing his eyes. “One night, I was out late. I was stuck at school from club activities… The school is far enough away from my house as it is, and since I walked, by the time I was close to my neighbourhood, it was dark out.”

Akira pulls his legs up onto the bed, fiddling with sections of hair. He’s unable to meet Goro’s eyes, still. “ I heard someone scream, from somewhere. When I arrived to the place I heard the scream from, there was this drunk man, harassing a girl. I went over to help, but when I intervened to get him away from the woman he was harassing. He slipped when that happened, and… he was bleeding, a lot.”

Goro’s eyes widen. He has a suspicion where this is going. He clenches Akira’s hands tighter like Akira did for him, and for the first time in this story, Akira’s eyes meet his, a grateful smile spreading across his lips for a moment, to show he appreciated the gesture.

“...I hadn’t had blood for a long time. I didn’t _mean_ to, but I reacted to the smell too much, and. I ended up attacking him.” He closed his eyes. He quickly carries on. “I’m not proud of it. It was one of the lowest moments of my life. I never wanted to hurt anyone; It felt bad, that I caved that easily, just from instincts.” He laughs mirthlessly. “The man was fine—not much more than a small wound on his arm, and I only took enough to make him a bit dizzy, but… My parents wanted nothing to do with me since then. It dragged their name down in the town they loved so much, and people became suspicious of them, too.

“They threw me out as soon as the news spread. They needed to show they wouldn’t commit the same atrocities I had, and their proof was telling me I wasn’t welcome in town anymore.” He shrugs, smiling a little, looking like he was in pain despite trying to show Goro he was alright with it. “It serves me right. I understand it completely—If I stayed, people might have tried to throw them out, too. And they didn’t do it carelessly—they assured me a safe place to go—arranged Sojiro to take me in, But…” He sighs. “I’ve been going to a new doctor for supplement like I used to, but I haven’t drunk any from another person since then. Even if offered by others, I couldn’t do it.” His eyes found Goro’s. “But then I did again… From you.”

 _I put my bleeding hand right in his mouth, taunting him, and making him relive all of it._ Goro closes his eyes, shame filling him once again with this new knowledge.

That kind of story might have served as proof for him, if he knew it earlier. _That all of them were the same._ But he could see the regret in Akira’s eyes that night, could see it _now_ , and feel it in his shaking hands, connected to Goro’s. 

Akira didn’t want to do that. He didn’t want to hurt _anyone._

When Goro had killed vampires, he did it without a second thought or care. He thought he was making the world a better place for it—meanwhile, Akira was trying his best to unite the two from what he’d seen, but messed up along the way, and was now stuck here for it.

Akira hadn’t meant to hurt anyone. And the fact that he did haunted him, up until now. Goro’s not sure if it happened because blood was hard to come by, but he knew Akira didn’t want to hurt others after that unintentional event. He was the opposite of Akechi.

Goro shifts, uncomfortable. “I shouldn’t have done what I did before, either. I put you through that to get the results I wanted, but… I didn’t know. I’m truly sorry.”

Akira pats his hand, and kisses Goro’s cheek, when he looks his way. Goro feels his face heart up— _was now really the best time for that?!_

“Thank you… I’m ok now.” Akira says, and smiles quite genuinely at him. “You said you wouldn’t hate me, and that’s all i needed.” He smiles, bigger by the second. Goro swears his heart is about to jump out of his throat, but returns the smile, shaky but real.

He’s glad to know the truth. He’s tired of pretending he didn’t like Akira, and that he didn’t basically know the truth from the beginning, only fooling himself because Akira made him so happy, and he didn’t want to face what else having feelings for a vampire entailed.

But it was simple as that—Akira made him happy. Goro wouldn’t leave him again, not for anything. 

It’s like a weight off his chest.

They stare at each other in silence for a few more moments, before they hear the steps creaking. They turn their head towards the entryway. 

Sae comes up the stairs, and they pull apart from their close proximity before her eyes settle on them. Sae blinks.

“I was supposed to check on you both.” She supplies, sounding apologetic, like she knew she was interrupting something. Her head turns to Akira. “Kurusu-san. You’re safe?”

Akira blinks. “ _Oh._ Yes. I returned tonight.”

Akechi looks over, confused. Then it hits him.

Right. He was supposedly missing. Sae seems to brush over that very vague answer with a nod.

“That’s good. Well. Are you both okay? I need to take account of your injuries for the police. They’re busy taking care of the body downstairs. I’ll also need an account of the actions that took place, just so you know.”

Akira coughs. “Despite the blood on my clothes, I’m okay. It’s mostly mine, too.”

Sae nods. “And you, Akechi?”

Goro nods. “Better than ever.” and at the odd look Sae gives him, he blushes. Right. There was a dead guy downstairs, a crime scene, and they were up here having an emotional talk about feelings in the midst of it.

“I mean, _uh,_ no injuries.” Akira is snickering into his hand, and Goro shoves him. “We’re both fine.”

“Uh-huh.” Sae remarks, looking unsure. “If you’re okay, I’ll need a quick statement to report to the police downstairs. Kurusu-san, I’m aware of your situation, as you know. I brought it upon myself to make sure the police don’t apprehend you, considering it could look bad, a vampire killing another one in an establishment. They might suspect you of some foul play.”

 _Sae knew about him being a vampire, too?_

Goro stands, and the blood rushes to his head from the sudden quick movement after all this time. “That’s ridiculous, Sae! He was protecting my sister.” Goro’s unhappy expression quells when he feels Akira’s hand kindly tug him back down, and when he looks to him for answers, shakes his head kindly, trying to keep him calm.

That makes Goro frown. Akira was just… taking it? Even Goro knew suspicion was easier to throw on vampires than humans if they were involved in cases. But it wouldn’t help Akira to just go along with it.

“Is that true, Kurusu-san?” Sae asks. 

Akira nods, stoic but calm—all too-used to possible accusations being thrown his way, it seemed. “Yes. The vampire came in just before closing, when Sojiro had gone to get some dinner makings from home. He left the cafe to me and Futaba, and within a few minutes of being on our own, the glass was smashed by a brick, and the vampire entered, seemingly aiming for Futaba, so I stepped in. He had weapons made of silver, and stabbed me before I could take him down.” After a second, he adds, “Oh—he was the vampire who attacked Akechi before, too. In the station.”

Sae’s eyebrows met her hairline. “That… could explain a motive. Coming here to get back at the vampire who previously scared him away. But I can’t understand why he would be after Futaba, unless it was just because she was human...” She mumbles, off-topic, before changing the subject. “Anyway. You said you were stabbed? I thought you said you weren’t hurt?” She looks Over Akira for open wounds.

“Oh. I’m not.” Akira says, before pointing to Akechi.

Sae squints, looking to Akechi, then his _neck_ , understanding coming to her eyes as she coughed into her palm. “...Nevermind. I see. So... you’re fine, now?”

Goro wants to _die._

Akira stifles a laugh at her reaction. “I’m alright. Goro saved me, this time.” His eyes look over, his eyelashes fluttering. “My knight in shining armour.”

“I have to go now,” Goro deadpans, trying to escape. He didn’t especially miss the flirting aspect of Akira, especially in front of people he knew. Akira grabs his hand before he can go, preventing him from leaving as he laughs at Goro’s misfortune.

 _This is the guy I like,_ He reminds himself.

Sae smiles, her posture relaxing for a moment as she took the scene in. “Well, I’m glad you’re all okay. Futaba is getting a checkup and seems to be in shock, but she’s fine as well, thanks to you.” she nods to Akira, and clears her voice again. “Onto other matters, your statement does match hers, as I expected. My sister speaks well of you, so I figured you wouldn’t have instigated anything for any other reason other than trying to protect a friend. We don’t know the identity of the vampire downstairs yet, or anything other than the previous involvement, but it does just sound like a regular attack, which means you probably won’t be needed for anything else tonight. We’ll settle the rest on our own, and contact you if we need any extra information. But other than that—” She starts to makes her way down the stairs. “I’m glad to see you two reunited. Have a good night.”

“...Bye, Sae-san.” Goro says, still in shock.of how quickly that was over with. If it was the murder of a human, it would have been a different story. Akira could have been placed in jail for a long time, even if it was an act of defense. 

But that just unsettles him further. Vampires were seen as a pest, in the end. And If Goro had killed Akira all that time ago, it would have possibly been processed as self-defense too, even if there was no witnesses, and Goro was the one to initiate the fight between them. His stomach tangles in knots.

Then there’s also the fact that Sae _knew._ Everyone seemed to know but him, until the end. Which meant she was either lying to him about her condolences on Akira’s missing status, if she knew, or she wasn’t truthfully informed that Akira’s disappearance in the first place. He could ask about it later, but he’s not sure that really matters right now when there’s also the fact his work colleague knows of his relationship, approves, and definitely will tease him for it later. 

Just perfect.

Akira turns to him. “Do you have any idea who that was, now that you’ve seen him when you weren’t out of it completely?”

Goro holds his chin in his hand, thinking of the vampire’s face, trying to recall it from somewhere. “...No, I don’t. I recognized him from last time, but I still don’t know why he came back. If he came again, it was either for revenge against you for ruining his first attack on me, or he really was after Futaba.” Goro’s eyebrows furrowed together. “But I can’t understand that. What motive would he have against—”

“Guys?” Futaba blinks, head popping up from the top of the stairs. Her eyes were still puffy, but seemed to have cleared up from fear, looking to them curiously. Akira moves over, away from Goro, patting the bed beside himself—between them—to beckon her over. It works, and she scurries up the remaining stairs, and deposits herself in the space at their hips, eyes darting between them both.

“Are you both… okay now?”

Goro smiles. “Yes, Futaba. We worked it out.”

“So you’re going to quit working for Shido, right? You know we’ll help you.” She looks so determined, even with red eyes. Despite the teary part, she looks stronger now, physically and mentally. Her hands had stopped shaking, and the panic had left her gaze Was she always like this?

Maybe she just didn’t understand what he was up against…?

 _No,_ He chastises himself. _have more faith in her, this time._

Goro frowns again. “...I won’t work for him anymore, but if you were serious about helping me if needed… you’ll have to be very careful, Futaba.”

“You got it!” She nods, serious. There’s a bit of a smile playing at her lips.

“Thank you.” He smiles fondly at her, glad she didn’t absolutely hate him. Seeing her smile at him again almost makes him want to cry, thinking he would have lost everybody close to him if he continued in the direction he was going in.

Akira stands up, calling both of their attentions to him. He jams a thumb behind him, towards the room entrance.

“I’ll leave you two alone for a while, yeah? I’m going to go speak with Sojiro.”

Futaba nods, quick in succession. “Thanks, Akira.”

He grins with a tilt of the head, and heads downstairs. Futaba looks at Goro, a million questions in her eyes as she seems to try and settle on just one. Goro swallows, and waits for the worst of it.

“You let him drink your blood, didn’t you?” Futaba asks quickly, eyeing the fading mark on his neck—a clean puncture, clean of blood, the skin a fading purple already. “Why the sudden change of heart?”

Goro looks down at his feet. “...You were right, about him. I was wrong about everything I believed in, in the end.” He gets himself ready to apologize. This was it—he was either going to have a good relationship or a bad one with her, after this. He looks to her, eye contact and all. 

She seemed to sense the serious tension in the air, and nervously stares back, eyes flickering to the floor after a moment.

It seemed the habit of avoiding eyes in a serious conversation was a family trait. He takes a deep breath. “He’s not the only one I need to say sorry to. ...I hurt your feelings too, and didn’t consider your friendship with him when I told him to leave. I thought I was protecting you, but I was really just acting for myself.” He clenches his fist in the bedsheets. “I’m sorry, Futaba. I truly am—I apologize for not listening to you before, belittling your feelings, and not heeding your words. That wasn’t fair of me, doing all this behind your back, either. I shouldn’t have done the awful things I have—To Akira, or anyone like him. I’ve been awful to you too, and you have every right to stay mad at me. If you don’t forgive me—now or ever, I’ll understand.”

Futaba’s eyes water, and he only gets a glimpse at her shiny eyes before she launches herself around him, hugging him around the waist, burying her face in his shirt so he couldn’t see her. He’s so shocked for a moment, he just sits there, arms hovering and eyes wide. 

“You’re such an idiot!” She says. “Of course I forgive you. I’m _mad,_ but I’m glad you’re okay, too. And I’m happy you came to your senses.”

As the shock passes over him, his arms slowly come down to reciprocate the hug, even at the weird angle. He didn’t have the heart to tell her he still felt a little weak and in pain for this, because he was just so happy.

“Me too, Futaba.” He swallows, suddenly overwhelmed. “Thank you.”

He didn’t lose his sister. Or Akira. They didn’t hate him, even after all he did.

It’s the luckiest he might have felt in his life, in this moment.

She pulls away, and looks to him again, a little more nervous this time. “Ok, since we’re coming clean, I uh... need to tell you something.”

He blinks. “What would that be?”

“ _So…_ ” She trails, sounding oddly guilty. “When I got mad at you, I was like _really_ was mad, okay? But here’s the thing—Akira didn’t actually leave without telling us first?”

Well, considering she knew of his job but didn’t accuse Goro of murdering Akira, he figured it was something like that. It’s nice that she comes clean to him, thought. He smiles. “Yeah, I thought it might be something like that.” Not to mention Sae had known about his case, too. He assumes a lot happened without him knowing.

If it saved him from hurting Akira in the end, and helped him learn his own wrongdoings, maybe it was for the best.

Futaba frowns. “I just didn’t feel right lying to you, though. Akira told me I had to make my side of the story believable, and pretend to be oblivious and sad he was missing, since he wasn’t sure what you’d do if you knew i knew about the vampire thing—but I thought that was dumb, so I didn’t listen!” She smiles nervously. “But I totally wanted to see what you’d say if I brought him up. Akira was so sure you hated him, but I didn’t think so, since I have eyes. I just played up my acting a bit to get a reaction from you, while also hiding the fact that I knew Akira was still safe and somewhere around Tokyo.” She frowns, now. “Sorry for that. But! It’s not like I _totally_ lied—everything I said about his feelings for you was true—don’t tell him I told you—and also, he technically did leave. He wandered around, and just showed back up to check up on us while the coast seemed clear. So, tonight.” She looks up, shouldes a bit hunched as she waited for his response.

“That’s…” _The reason she’s still alive, so don’t push it._

“...It’s fine, I kind of deserved that treatment, at least.” It also confirms something: he might have not been totally crazy when he thought he saw Akira around shibuya. _Huh._

“Kind of?” She snorts. “ ...Well, as long as you see it now. Just don’t hurt his feelings again, _‘kay?_ I mean it this time.” Futaba scolds.

He nods. “I promise.”

“Oh—and Goro?”

“Yeah?”

“I found the figurine you left outside. Even if i forgive you, i’m still totally keeping it.”

“That’s...That’s the idea, Futaba.”

~

The next few days after that are… relieving, to say the least.

Sojiro keeps Futaba home, the sheer panic of the situation not sitting well with him. The fact that that vampire had been seemingly after Futaba was still a mystery, and even more so with him dead. It kept them all feeling uneasy. Sojiro closes the shop, and offers to let both Akira and Goro stay at his place for a while, until they had more information from the police.

Akira respectfully declines—claims he can take care of himself, and isn’t as worried since he was a vampire himself, and could see one coming from a mile away. Goro knows better—after all their confessions as of late, he’s pretty certain Akira just really doesn’t want to intrude on their family. The answer given doesn’t seem to sit well with Sojiro, who protests that he doesn’t like the idea of Akira staying in the coffee shop right at the moment with what happened. Not alone, at least.

“He can stay with me.” Goro pipes up, shocking everyone present in the room. Futaba recovers quick, giving him a mischievous look with an eyebrow wiggle which he ignores, while Sojiro’s mouth hangs open for a moment, looking unsure how to comment. Akira himself looks a little flustered, lips clamped shut but eyes a fraction wider, which speaks volumes, for his range of facial emotion.

“You… want him to stay with you?” Sojiro repeats.

Goro smiles politely. “Yes. He can stay with me at my apartment—safety in numbers, and all that. Doesn’t that sound fine?”

“Well, it is out of the open, and I would feel better with you two sticking together…” He sighs, giving in, rubbing at his head. “...Sometimes I wish the both of you would rely on me a little more, though. Why do you two both have isolating yourself in common?” He grumbles, walking up the stairs as Futaba giggles in the corner, jabbing Akira in the side, who was blushing, now.

It was a good look on him.

Goro felt ridiculously happy. He’s never quite put an expression like that on Akira’s face yet--and Akira was always the one to make _him_ blush. He walks right by the two of them, and follows Sojiro up the stairs of the closed Leblanc, to help him find the overnight bags he knew were tucked away somewhere.

Once they’re alone, Sojiro turns to him, arms crossed.

“So you all worked it out, I presume?” He has an eyebrow raised, interrogation mode activated. 

“Uh—yes.” he nods. “We… talked it out the other day, when I came back.”

“Hm.” Sojiro grumbles, turning to the cupboard, sorting through it past the blankets and spare cloths. “That’s good, then.” he says, cryptic as ever.

Goro realizes he never truly apologized to Sojiro. For all the stress he put on him, and the pain he caused his daughter. He was supposed to be a member of this family too, yet all he seemed to become was a burden everywhere, in the end. That thought weighs on him a little heavily, in the silence of the cafe.

“Sojiro, I…”

A hand is shoved in his face, and an overnight bag tossed into his open arms.

“We don’t need to talk about it. As long as you made it up to those two, we’re in the clear, too. Just _be careful_ from now on, and make smart choices.” He smiles at Goro, crooked and pulling at lines in his face. “I’m glad you’ve realized what you did wrong. You look happier for it, too.”

Goro looks at the floor. “I am.”

“Good,” Sojiro nods, thoughtfully. Then, slaps his back, making him jolt. “Just take care of him now, you hear me? And really—if you both wanted to stay with me and Futaba, there wouldn’t be a problem. You know we have your old room.”

Goro nods. “...I know. Thank you, Sojiro.” This was… more of a pep talk then Goro thinks he was quite ready for. 

“I swear, you both are trying to drive me completely bald with worry.” Sojiro grunts. “Just—” He waves a hand. “Just keep each other safe, okay? And rely on me more, if you need to. Don’t stay away just for the sake of not bothering me. You should know by now that you wouldn’t.”

“That’s not—”

Sojiro walks past him. “Don’t think about it too hard. Just promise you’ll come to me, if you need the help—or anything. You’re my kid, too, you know.”

Goro pauses, feels his world slow down as those words process as they sink in, and feels tears press behind his eyes. He blinks hard, as Sojiro looks back to him, expecting an answer. 

“...Yes sir.” He says quietly, feeling light. 

Sojiro smiles, and treads down the stairs. “Come on. You could all probably use a cup of coffee, before we get started packing for him.”

_~_

Akira moving in for a short period of time is nice. Goro is so used to waking up cold, alone, and hesitant to get out of bed, but he’s been waking up with Akira’s face next to his for four mornings, now. It leaves a good impression on the day, and it doesn’t hurt when Akira wakes up, sleepily blinking at him with those charming gray eyes with a small smile, making Goro’s heart thud wildly before Akira pulls him deeper into the covers and tries to get him to fall asleep again.

Akechi has been told not to come into work by Sae, who informs them they still haven’t gotten a bit of information on the vampire, yet. Whether he worked alone, whether he was with a group—not a motive, or any connections to any existing open cases. It was unlikely for vampires to attack an establishment, and even more unlikely for one to attack two people in public at different times, two who were family. It seemed there was a link somewhere, but for now, he’s been told to stay with someone at all times. 

He enjoys it thoroughly.

When Akira and him finally leave the bed every morning, he’s able to take a quick shower and come out to the smell of fresh coffee being brewed. It turns out that Akira had learned a thing or two from Sojiro, in the time he’s worked at Leblanc.

The coffee isn’t perfectly to Goro’s tastes, but he likes it regardless, when he’s sitting at the sun-covered table enjoying the morning in pleasant silence. 

Morgana jumps onto the table for attention, and Goro can’t find it in him to push him off. He pets the cat behind the ears, and listens to the soft purring fill the quiet room as they sip at their coffee; Akira carding fingers through his own unruly hair, messy as always.

Goro loves this. He loves the routine of it, and the carefree, relaxed days they were now sharing together as they waited out in hiding. He loves Akira’s habits merging with his usually lonely home life, like finding coats hanging near the door that aren’t his—sweaters on his pillow that smell like Akira. Having Akira pull him onto the bed in the late afternoon for regular naps, pulling Goro close and leaving the blankets just over their toes, holding each other for warmth instead. Akira does the dishes right after meals as instinct, and blames Sojiro for conditioning him with cafe work for that. Goro himself just left them all to the end of the day, most of the time. He likes seeing two toothbrushes in the bathroom, and finding a second pair of slippers near the entryway. 

Everything didn’t feel so empty, anymore.

Even Morgana blends into his life so nicely—he doesn’t mind having a pet; he just never had the time for one before this. But with someone else in the house, it seems so much more manageable. Like a real home. He doesn’t even mind the black and white cat hair covering his sofa and bed so much.

Overall—it’s nice. Everything feels like it’s pieced together in such a nice way, almost too perfectly.

And then, Akira tries to take advantage of their free time in a way that truly spikes his anxiety.

“Let’s go out today,” He proposes the idea after their lunch on their fourth day of being stuck together.

Goro puts his coffee down. “...Go where? We’re supposed to be lying low right now, if you recall.”

Akira rolls his eyes. “Yeah, I know. But we’ve been cooped up here for days. Anyway, I asked Boss if we could borrow the empty shop for the day.”

Goro’s eyes widen. “Whatever for?”

Akira smiles. “My friends were a little curious about my boyfriend. I was hoping to have a little get together party, and introduce you all together.” He reaches across the table, and grips Goro’s fingers, weaving them together. “It it’s too much, you don’t have to, of course. I just wanted you to meet them, but we can do it another time if you’re uncomfortable?”

Goro knows the way it’s posed isn’t meant to be a challenge, but his heartrate picks up regardless. Akira’s friends? That was… intimidating, to say the least. Akira calling him his boyfriend also soothes his nerves and distracts him from the issue. Damn.

His fingers clench around Akira’s, and he stares into his coffee.

He wanted to know more about Akira, anyway. And... he wanted the people he cared about to like him.

It didn’t honestly sound like a bad idea. Just scary.

“...how many people are going to this… gathering?”

Akira leans into the table more, eyes easygoing and warmly watching him as he brushes a lock of Goro’s hair away. The domesticity of this arrangement was going to kill him, wow. “About six, including your sister—is that alright?”

Six friends to impress. Five, by a technicality. But Futaba would undoubtedly pose a threat, being ready at all times to embarrass him without mercy in front of new people. He swallows. He’s charmed several people at once, in business related meetings. He’s charmed audiences in interviews, before. He could totally win over five people.

“...Alright. That’s fine.”

“Yeah?” Akira grins.

“Yes.” _Please let it be a settled subject before I change my mind._

“Alright. I’ll tell them to meet us there, then.” He stands up, still leaned in, and kisses Goro’s forehead, brushing the locks away before he does it in one fell swoop. “Thank you, Goro. I think you’ll like them.”

 _I hope they’ll like me, too._ “It sounds great.” He says. .

~

When they enter the cafe holding hands, he tries not to feel too alarmed by the six sets of eyes that land on him in a moment, including Futaba’s.

“Hey there!” A blonde girl says, standing up. Ponytails sway from the sides of her head, wavy and full. She looks like a model, small nose and big blue eyes. She’s got a friendly aura, as well.

Makoto Nijima waves at him from the bar stools with a pleasant smile, and he feels himself calm. Another person he knew, even though vaguely. He recalls Akira mentioning he was friends with Sae’s sister--he knew her name and face from brief meetings, too.

Four people to impress. He could totally do this.

“Hello.” He greets kindly, giving a small bow. “It’s nice to meet you all.”

“Excluding me, of course.” Futaba says, eyes locked onto a handheld game “Told you guys my brother was going to play it professional. Don’t believe him, he’s a total dork.”

 _Damn you, Futaba._ “Is that so?” He smiles widely. “I’m sure your friends would love to enlightened of all your ‘dorky’ tendencies as well then, Futaba. I have video proof of you and your so called, _‘fangirling,’_ —”

“AAAH nevermind! Forget what I said you guys! He’s _cool! Not a dork,_ not at _all._ ” She scrambles, almost falling off her chair, arms waving frantically. Goro smiles.

A blond man laughs crudely at the interaction.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Another person says—a man with a pleasant voice and sideswept hair, leaning with a poised stance into the booth, sharp but tired eyes welcoming, and a small smile on his mouth. “Akira has told us quite a bit about you.”

“ _Oh._ ” Goro replies, smartly. He feels an odd to place sense of unease fill him. Weirdly enough, he didn’t realize Akira would talk about him with others. Was it good? Bad? Did Akira tell them about his relationship with Goro in more detail than necessary? Did these friends have to take care of him when Goro told him to leave? 

Goro swallows. Even worse, did they already have a bad opinion formed of him because of it…?

Akira puts a hand on his shoulder. Goro clears his throat. “I see. All good things, I hope.”

“As if that guy has said anything other than gag-worthy about you,” The blond man adds, slouched in his seat in casual wear, taking a swig of his soda. 

“Don’t mind Ryuji.” A pleasant girl says, short with fluffy light brown hair, suddenly conjured at his side. “I’m Haru! The blonde girl is Ann, and the other man is Yusuke. I’m sure you don’t need much introduction to Makoto, or your sister for that matter.” She giggles. “It’s nice to meet you. Akira’s told us plenty of great things about you.” She holds her hand out politely, and he goes to shake it.

She has a firm grip, despite her soft appearance and stature. Cold as ice, too.

Goro stares. She looks back at him, head tilted, eyes bright.

 _Oh._ This is why Akira left a meeting between them all until now. 

But did Akira tell them what Goro worked as? Did they know, and didn’t care? Or was this some sort of ambush? _No, no. Akira wouldn’t do that._ He smiles at her, trying to relieve his own tension as well as promote it in this vampire with the strength of Hercules.

“It’s nice to meet you, Haru. The rest of you, as well.” He replies, and her grin widens, joyful. 

It’s easier once the awkward introductions are done. And the people he meets are quite genuine, and he’s pleased to meet them too, he finds. 

Haru, Ann, and Yusuke were vampires like Akira—He learns this pretty fast, as they all give pretty informing handshakes, equally as cold as Haru’s. Futaba, Makoto, and Ryuji were human. It’s such an oddball group, but they’re intriguing to watch as they mingle together. They all get along so well, despite the differences. Goro really should have understood this kind of thing, earlier.

They all drink coffee. For his sake? He’s not so sure. Yusuke, a vampire, gnaws on a popsicle, taken from the freezer. Ann chews on multiple donuts, which definitely weren’t on the Leblanc menu. When she’s done those, she ends up pulling out candies, as well.

They were vampires, and yet they still seemed to have specific eating habits other than blood, although unnecessary ...huh.

“—but yeah, Goro is letting me stay with him now, instead of here. At least until we figure out who that vampire was, and what his motives could be. Isn’t that right?” Akira turns to him, face way too close, and causing Goro’s cheeks to overheat. _Was it really necessary to be this close in front of his friends?!_

He realizes he was zoning out and analyzing Akira’s vampire friends, and not taking account of the conversation at hand. _Oops._

“Ah... yes, that’s right. I hope they find out what’s going on soon, though, with that vampire’s identity. This whole thing has been somewhat of a problem.”

Akira frowns. “But you like me staying with you, right?”

“W— _Of course I do!_ I didn’t mean _that_.” Goro exclaims, a tad too loud. He didn't want Akira getting the wrong idea. 

Akira’s eyes widen, and he grins, burying his face into Goro’s shoulder, causing him to gasp. They were in front of his friends. _Why._

“ _Aww,_ that’s so sweet! We’ve never seen him act like this before.” The blonde girl—Ann says, twirling a pigtail in her fingers. “He’s always so quiet, It’s nice to see him act like this for a change.”

“Not helping, Ann.” Akira grumbles, a light pink on his cheeks as he lifts his face from Goro’s chest. “Did you guys want curry?” Akira asks, grabbing empty cups almost for a reason to excuse himself. 

“Ah! Yes, please.” Makoto says. Ryuji nods along, too.

“I would like some, as well.”

“You don’t even eat it, Inari!” 

Akira laughs for a moment at their bickering. “I just need to get some stuff from the supermarket. Wait a few minutes, I’ll be right back.”

They all say a quick goodbye, and Goro has never felt more alone, left to the lion’s den and Akira’s friends’ and their odd questions that were bound to happen without Akira here.

When Akira is out the door, Ann leans in. _Here we go._

“You met Akira a just under a few months ago, right?” Ann asks.

Goro nods. “Yes—I met him here, actually.”

Ann smiles at him, leaning into her palm. “That’s so cute. Futaba told me you guys went out, like, immediately too. Ugh—Why can’t I find something like that?” She grumbles, at the end. “It’s almost like fate, though. I’m jealous!”

Haru is quick to cut in. “Ann, don’t tease Akechi-kun. He’s already red in the face.” she pouts, a small frown on her face. And she’s correct—but pointing it out only furthers the heat on his cheeks. 

“He was... “ Kind, and captivating. Meeting him did feel like fate, and turned his life around completely, in the best way. “He was very… flirty.” He didn’t have much to say out loud about their first meeting. Those feelings felt embarrassing to reveal to people he barely knew.

Ann and the others blink, and she’s the first to guffaw out a laugh, loud and not matching her pretty face whatsoever. She seemed to be the rowdy type, along with Ryuji. He can appreciate that.

“But you were into it, yeah?” Ann winks.

“...Somehow, yes.” Goro cringes. He doesn’t really like the way this conversation is turning, three sets or more of eyes staring at him, waiting for answers on his romantic life..

Futaba snickers, and Makoto takes a moment to sip her tea, clearly curious, but trying to seem unassuming. Ryuji groans beside Goro, and sinks into the worn Leblanc cushions. “Just ignore them, Akechi. They don’t have love lives of their own, and they’d just love to pester Akira’s boyfriend, getting their hands on any dirt they can.”

“Oh, Shut up Ryuji!” Ann yells, demeanor changed like a switch. She stands to lean over the table, and socks him on the arm. He yelps. She sits back down calmly, and looks to Goro again. “We just wanted to know more about you guys. He and Futaba say all good things, but we wanted to meet you in person.”

“After we heard you changed your mind about him, we were very adamant on setting up a meeting, as well. I myself was quite curious to see who our good friend was interested in.” Yusuke says, nonchalant. 

Futaba glares at him, and kicks his stool, making him sway.

_Ah. So they did know._

The atmosphere quiets.

“Did you all want to meet me as a precautionary measure, then?” Goro asks, feeling a tad bit defensive. _To see if i would hurt him or not_ went unsaid. They all seem to freeze up.

“No! No, nothing like that.” Haru says. “We know you’re a good person—Akira wouldn’t date someone who wasn’t, I think.”

Goro snorts. “I’m not so sure about that. He tries to tell me otherwise, but I’m sure you know what I’ve done then, if Akira has been so chatty about me?” He tries not to sound a little bitter. He didn’t really appreciate them dancing around the subject—if they were going to hate him now, so be it.

Ann visibly swallows. Quiet for the first time this hangout.

“You don’t need to be defensive.” Futaba cuts in, rolling her eyes. “Of course they know about you, but it’s not like we were gossiping. They wanted to meet you long before you chilled out about the whole vampire dilemma, and were willing to act like Akira did just so they could meet you. They wanted to meet you now even more.” Futaba says, frowning.

Goro sighs out, fists unclenching on the table. “Yes, you’re right. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin the conversation.”

“You didn’t!” Ann assures. “We did want to meet you… before. I’m just a really bad actor.”

“All of you are really bad actors.” Ryuji mutters.

“Yeah? And _you’re_ a blabbermouth!” Ann hisses, swatting at him like a child.

“We weren’t afraid of you,” Haru says patiently at his side. “We just wanted to wait until Akira was ready, too. He was really happy you came around.” She smiles. “We’re happy, too. Please don’t stress too much about us knowing.”

Akira’s friends knew, and still accepted him? What were the odds of that being even… possible?

Goro laughs, by accident. “You’re all... Unbelievable. I’m surprised you even want to talk to me.”

“If you changed and have come around, that’s all that matters to us.” Makoto says. “We’re glad we don’t have to lie about it, right?” she’s responded to with a chorus of nods.

“And since you’re Akira’s boyfriend and Futaba’s older brother, you’re our friend too now by default! If you need help, we’ll be there.” Ann assures with a wink. 

“...Thank you.” Goro says, honestly touched. Akira certainly had kind company, if they were willing to forgive or accept someone like him so easily. It was bizarre, and he wasn’t so used to things like this. But Akira seemed to bring a lot of light into his life, it seemed.

Akira decides just then to come back into Leblanc from outside, bags in hand. They all turn to him, Futaba running up and taking the bag from Akira to check the contents for snacks before they get lost in another small conversation among each other.

The rest of the night is filled with getting to know each other, and honestly? It’s probably the best time Goro has had with other people. He’s so used to meetings in the police station among adults, and the only true friend he seemed to have was Sae. It’s nice to be around a bunch of people his age.

They’re loud. They’re a little odd, too. But they were probably the exact kind of people he needed in his life, and they welcomed him so easily.

He goes home with Akira feeling very warm and light, that night. The smile doesn’t leave his lips for hours, until they sleepily crawl into bed and fall asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow from such a wild day.

~

When they wake up once again, curled together and waking up from the warm sunlight rising on their faces, he realizes his phone was ringing. He blurrily looks at the caller ID, and feels all the dreamy warm emotions from the past week flood out the bottom of his stomach, leaving ice to quake throughout his bones.

He knew this kind of peace could only last so long. He runs to the other room with the phone to his chest, leaving Akira as silently as he can. He takes a breath before answering the phone.

“You’ve been quiet for the last few days, you know.” No hello, no pretences, just demands. Shido was impatient as ready to put him to work as ever, it seemed. “I’d like you to get rid of another one. I’ve sent you the details already through text; Make sure to get it this time—Do remember to check in this time, yes?”

Akechi pauses.

Now or never, right?

“Actually…” He starts, summoning confidence. “I’d like to meet up with you before then, if that’s fine. I have something I must discuss in person. Does this afternoon work?”

He hears a hesitant grunt from Shido. “If you must. I’ll be in my office.” Then, he hangs up without anything left to be said.

Akechi holds the phone to his chest, and breathes in and out a few times, his head leaning against the back of the bathroom door. 

He was just getting used to this. He didn’t want to be stuck in that job any longer, with something so promising like this in his life for once. Even if Shido ruined any other chance for work within Tokyo for him with his influence, he’d manage. 

He opens the door, and sees Akira waiting on his living room couch, awake looking up to him as he re-enters the room. His eyes are concerned, eyebrows drawn close. “Is everything… okay?” He asks.

Goro walks over to him, and sits down on the other side of the couch. He pulls his legs up onto the cushions, as to avoid the coldness of the floor for a few moments longer. “That was Shido.” Goro mentions quietly. “He has another job for me.”

Akira stares at him, concern unrelenting on his face as he pulls Goro’s hand into his. It seemed to be a comfort thing for the both of them, now. 

“I told him I needed to speak to him.” He says. “I’m going to resign today.”

“Yeah?” Akira asks.

“Yeah.” Goro confirms. “I won’t do another job for him again.” 

It’s the most certain he’s felt in a long time. But with Akira, Sojiro, and Futaba backing him up, he thinks he just might be able to get away with it without ending up dead.

He’s sure of one thing; He wasn’t going to throw away this second chance with the people he cared about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the lives of vampires are as worthless as a handful of packing peanuts in this universe apparently? smh
> 
> ANYWAY I'M BACK!!! Sorry i took so long. 
> 
> This chapter was basically Akechi apologizing 2 literally everyone including people he barely knows, but aNYWAY!!! I added the rest of the crew in for a fun little scene. I need Akechi to actually be friends with the phantom thieves ok....
> 
> Anyway this chapter was hard for me to get through for whatever reason, but I hope you like it nonetheless. Kudos and Comments are appreciated!! ;w; Love to hear your thoughts~


	6. Chapter 6

The peaceful, domestic quiet feeling that had been lingering through the air the last week leaves with the cold draft of morning.

Goro was clearly lost in his own thoughts, not responding to much as the inevitable deadline sat atop their heads, anxiety making the boy tense as he sat motionless in front of Akira.

Akira curls his hand through Goro’s once again after giving him his space on the couch, still unmoving from the earlier declaration. Just to let him know he’s there, if anything. The cold from Akira’s body seems to jolt Goro, goosebumps raising on his exposed arms. 

“Yes, what is it?” Goro asks, eyes batting and looking innocently confused as he looks to Akira. He didn’t seem to have enough in him to play an act, but it seemed he was trying to come across as he wasn’t staring into the floor for the past ten minutes. Akira pulls him close to himself.

“You’re super cold, you know.” Goro mumbles into Akira’s collar bones, breath and weight warm and alive as he lays on Akira.

Akira snorts.

“Well, I can’t really help that, can I?”

“No, guess not.” Goro grumbles, unconvincingly. “...Is it bad that I’m a little nervous?”

“Of Shido?” Akira asks. Goro nods very slowly into his chest, eyes unhelpfully faced away from Akira.

“I used to be confident in the fact that he was a dangerous man to deal with—I didn’t have any problem playing with fire. Especially when it wasn’t my life he was after.” He pauses, uncertainty creeping up to his voice. His hands clutch at Akira’s loose grey t-shirt.

“I knew that if I stopped working for him, I might become a target myself. I used to think he might spare me, considering I was his only son, even if he resented me a little. I was never worried about that, though; I didn’t plan on stopping what I was doing, and our goals were always in the same line of thought. But then I met you, and I...” He shakes his head, hiding his face even further, turning into Akira’s chest as if trying to fade his words out by muffling them. He doesn’t continue the other sentence. “It feels like I finally have something good. I’m afraid he’ll become suspicious if I stop working for him, or trail me. _Us._ I’ve never had anything like you in my life before. I don’t… I don’t want him to take you from me.” Those hands clutch tighter, straining. “I don’t want to die, either.”

Akira chooses his next words carefully.

“Goro… Does he even know who I am? How would he find out, if not from you?” Akira asks. 

“No...You might have a point.”

“Listen to me, okay? Goro?” He gently pries his twined hand from Goro’s, and pulls Goro’s face up by the cheeks with both, softly. He looked as nervous as Akira had probably seen him. He’s glad Akechi had stopped acting, though.

He was scared.

“You aren’t going to get hurt, or lose me.” He tucks a lock behind his ear, swooping through those silky brown locks slowly, and feels Akechi relax above him. “You don’t need to worry about me—especially if he doesn’t know about my existence. Our main concern is watching you, and you can guarantee we’ll get you out of this mess. You trust us, don’t you?”

“Yes, of course.” Goro sighs, a faint grin picking up at his lips. “...Do you think we could talk about something else for a while, though? I’m beginning to feel ill from thinking so much about this.”

Akira smiles, and kisses his forehead. “I can do you one better. How about I take you out somewhere?”

~

“Yeah... I don’t know how I feel, going out this far when I might have a target on my back. What if I show up late to Shido’s office, at this rate?” Akechi asks, as they breach the entrance of Inokashira park.

“Stop worrying. That’s the point of this, right? We’re going to relax for a bit, before we meet up with Futaba at noon to finalize the plan. I already called her, and she’s working something out. We got this.”

Goro smiles thinly. “I hope you’re right, Akira.”

“I am.” Akira leans in to peck Goro’s cheek, before he can protest about them being in public. A passing woman briefly looks their way, but Goro turns inward to him instead, fiery red gracing the skin on his high cheekbones, and his ears. “Let’s go.”

“Okay,” Goro says, a wobbly smile emerging on his lips as they walk deeper in.

Akira grins at him.

~

They end up doing almost a full circle around the lake, lost in thought and conversation as they passed a few people jogging, some walking their children to school. It was so early, the summer wind still crisp with morning cold and the sun just beginning to grace the top of the lake, that it left them on their own, for the most part.

The conversations were casual, at first. But then, as time inevitably went on, the silence began to thicken.

Time goes on, even if they wanted it to slow for this kind of moment. Goro seems to soak it into his skin, acting more refined—more forced, as the clock dwindles down.

It’s like he knew something would go wrong, even if he said he trusted Akira.

“Goro,” Akira says, stopping in place. “Do know where this is?”

Goro looks around, looking like he wanted to say _“Inokashira Park, obviously.”_ before smiling at him lightly, a glow coming back into his cheeks. “Well, we went here for our first date, of course.”

“Yep,” Akira smiles. “It was only months ago, but….”

“Feels like forever?” Goro finishes, and laughs. It was cheesy, even for them. Akira feels himself smile along for a moment, before gathering his words.

Akira pulls him to sit down at the nearby bench, and they gaze on the lake, words coming easy, now.

“I’m sorry if the memory is slightly bitter. I did antagonize you the whole date with questions, after all.” Or rather, try and prove himself so Goro wouldn’t leave him.

Goro tilts his head. “You wanted me to see it from your perspective. I understand.” He shakes his head. “Besides, even with the pestering, I found you intriguing. I wouldn’t be here with you if i wasn’t interested in you, after all. I like our bickering.”

_It was a little more than bickering in the beginning,_ he doesn’t say. He smiles. “So you _do_ like my teasing. The truth comes out.”

Goro grumbles, but tilts his head to lie on Akira’s shoulder. His heart beats frantically in response, and he grins at the small notion.

“Yes, well, I certainly found it nice to have a conversation partner who opposed my views. Thesis and antithesis, like that.” Goro murmurs.

Akira smiles. “Yeah, ok. _Sure._ ”

Goro sits up again to look at him. “Why are you looking at me like that? I’m serious.” Goro pouts, punching him lightly on the arm.

“Yeah, I know you are.” He replies, fondly. “I think I might love you.” Akira says as well, like it just occurs to him. It certainly ruins the fun, conversational mood. Goro slowly sits up straight and looks to him fully on, blinking in rapid succession as he stares.

“What?”

Akira’s quick to spit out his reasoning. He kind of forgets he’s thought it a bunch of times, but never really said it out loud.

He also forgets the guy he likes is seemingly easy fragile with relationships, easy to scare off or hurt when it came to love. He didn’t want Goro to see his confession as something like that, though.

“I wanted to tell you for awhile.” He says. “Even when I thought you hated me, i still felt drawn to you. My friends thought I was a masochist.” He grins. “I’ve never known anyone like you, and it really sunk in when you told me to leave. Even more so when you came back, though it wasn’t for me. I’m just so glad you came around.” He’s growing quickly uneasy with the sickly look on Goro’s face. He’s pretty confident about this, though. He waits, and squeezes Goro’s hand, willing him to meet his eyes.

Goro looks like a deer in the headlights. An animal cornered, possibly ready to run, if the pallor of his face and his fleeting gaze is anything to go by.

A moment passes, Akira’s heart positively stopped in his chest as he waits for Goro’s response.

“Are you sure?” Goro asks, tentatively.

Akira blinks. Releases a held breath in a quick almost-laugh. “Of course I am.” and after a moment. “...Do you feel the same? I’m admittedly the most nervous i’ve ever been, right now.”

Goro squints. “I don’t really believe that. You’re always so... _composed._ ” Goro laughs, nerves creeping into his voice. He stares at Akira. “You do mean it?”

“Yes.” He says, clearly, hoping to convey to Goro. his lips were still pinched uncertainty, and he looked more worried than flustered, which isn’t the reaction Akira wanted. He scrambles to fix that.

“I know we got off to a nice start and a really rocky middle for a while there, but this past week alone has given me a lot. I don’t want to lose you again—I don’t want to _leave_ you again. Ever, if I can help it.”

“Oh.” Goro says quietly, in that airy voice of his, not seeming to know what to do with an honest confession he basically asked for.

Akira waits.

“I’m a little… surprised, right now. Please forgive my lack of reply.” Goro admits. “It’s funny, I wonder if I would believe those words from anyone else.” He frowns, now. “I’d never thought I’d meet someone like you. I foresaw my family keeping distanced but frequent contact with me over the years to come, but I never thought I’d get closer like them like I did. I never thought someone like you would ensure I had connections all around like this. Tightly knit relationships with people never seemed to be in the cards for me, and yet, when I met you, a lot of possibilities seemed to open up that I thought had been closed before.” He smiles, small. “That week I told you to leave... it was hell for me. I used to love being alone, you know. Forced myself to like it. To _adapt._ But you have a habit of changing people for the better, don’t you?”

Akira snorts, but remains as serious as he can. “I try. Not that I really wanted to change you. I just wanted you to like me enough not to kill me.”

Goro frowns. “And that, too…” He whispers. “Even with my past, what I’ve done. Can you really stand to like someone like me? It’s been bothering me for a while but I…” He trails off, biting his lip. “I find it so hard to believe that you and your friends can so easily accept someone like me. You don’t even flinch when I’m near you, knowing I almost killed you, and I still don’t... _understand_ it.”

Akira’s shoulders sag. _That was what he was worried about?_ “I admit, it’s not like it didn’t bother me at some point or another. My friends didn’t exactly approve at first, either.” Akira starts. He feels Goro tense, and almost pull away. Akira tightens his hand on Goro’s. “But _you_ seem to forget I knew about you from the very beginning. If i was so concerned about my own wellbeing, I would have left before you’d known another thing about me. I wouldn’t have asked for your number, or even your name if I hadn’t come to a decision about you.” 

“Yes, but how can you stand it?” Goro asks, louder. “I’ve murdered your kind, Akira. If your name had so much has been on Shido’s list, I would have went through with it, well before we met. What if we hadn’t kept talking, and he learned of you? I wouldn’t have cared about you enough at that point to not follow through.”

“What’s the point in talking what if’s?” Akira shrugs. “I like you, Goro. I won’t excuse your actions, but you thought you were doing the right thing based on your own experiences. Now, you’ve learned different, and you like me and my friends, right?”

Goro’s lips warp into a wobbly frown, not really liking where this is going it seemed.

Akira sighs. “The world is messed up right now, Goro. I won’t say your actions were the correct ones, but you probably did save some humans down the line, with some of the work you did.” And despite what he’d like to believe, really, not all vampires were on the same mindset as him, even when _sane._ Akira frowns. “Don’t blame _only_ yourself for the path you took. You were willing to change, and I think that’s what counts.”

Goro smiles sadly. “So you’re just going to excuse my actions, then.”

Akira feels like throwing his hands up, but steers clear, just saying his next words very clearly.

“Listen. You liked our first conversation, right? Well, I did too. And yeah, I knew it was risky—But you were also Futaba’s brother. I didn’t see you as someone irredeemable. I wanted to help you, if you wanted it. If anything, I’m the one being selfish. I wanted you to like me, even if it was dangerous.” After a moment, he adds. “It doesn’t matter where you start over—as long as you’re willing to try, that’s enough for me. I’m not afraid of you because of your past doings—You saved my life as well. Don’t think I’d easily forget something like that.”

“You sound like my sister.” Goro laughs, tightening his grip on Akira’s hands, as if they’re the only grounding thing for him at the moment. “I just,” Goro says. “Don’t see why it’s gone this way. It feels too much like a dream.” 

Akira leans in, and holds Goro’s cheeks, locking eyes with Goro’s flustered and confused, watery ones. “You don’t need to think it over so much. You’ve done good and bad things, Goro. But you’re making a change for the better—and everyone can see it.”

Goro sighs, relaxing into Akira’s grip. “Are you certain that’s how you feel?” He asks, one more time.

Akira smiles. “Positive. I love you, Goro.” 

Goro shivers under his hands, and he’s pretty sure it’s not from the cold, this time. “I… love you too.” Goro says, releasing the words like a tooth pried out of his mouth. “I’m sorry—I’m not used to this, haha…”

“Take your time.” Akira hums. “As long as you feel the same, that’s all i’m worried about. I didn’t want to get rejected, today. I didn’t mean to make you more nervous before your meeting either. I just wanted you to know.”

“It’s fine.” Goro nods. “I’m glad you told me. It’s a lot, but… I’m happy. I didn’t think you would want to be with me, after all that I did.”

Akira shakes his head. “I’d find it harder to stay away from you at this point. You don’t give yourself enough credit. And you don’t need to think about it so hard.” He kisses Goro’s forehead, before leaning in to wrap his arms around Goro.

“I’m not so sure about that...” Goro grumbles, but sinks into the hug that he’s being pulled into.

“Akira?” He whispers, after a moment.

“Yes?”

“I love you. Thank you.”

Akira’s chest feels warm, heart on fire like he imagines it would have been if he had warm blood and human skin. He closes his eyes, and embraces the feeling for a long moment. “I love you too.”

~

“Okay, so what’s the plan?” Akira asks Futaba, perched on her bed and looking towards Futaba’s back as she pounds away at the keyboard faster than he thinks he ever could. She spins on her chair to face them.

“Ideally, you should go in, get your business done, and leave soon as possible.”

Akira blinks. “That was the plan anyway, but what’s your reasoning?”

Futaba frowns at this, and pulls her feet up onto the chair. “ _Weeell,_ ” She starts, dragging the word out. “The security is pretty high today, or so the cameras show. I don’t know if it’s like this every day, but there’s especially a lot of people in suits on the top floor, where Shido is.”

_So they weren’t just overthinking it, then._ This was something to take seriously. Goro feels a frown pull at his lips.

“That would be something he would implement out of worry alone, though. That man doesn’t trust anyone.” He sighs. “Well, no matter. At least you can see where we are at all times, and warn us if need be..”

“I can send you in bugged too, of course. That way, if he tries to pull anything on you—we’ll hear and know how to step forward before he’s done talking to you. Also, I think it would really comfort _this guy_ if he could hear what was happening, at the very least.”

Akira sidesteps, feeling heat across his cheeks. Goro snorts, and pats his arm lightly.

“So to sum it up, from my laptop I can manage to lower the security on the other floors, and get a layout of the building, if you need to get out quickly. Oh, and I can also control the security cameras, if you need one to go blind or have footage deleted. Anything tech or hacking related, I got you.”

Goro narrows his eyes. “Who taught you any of this, Futaba?”

She grins cheekily, but doesn’t answer the question.

Goro squints. “ _Fine._ You can tell me in detail, after this is over. But I don’t think deleting footage will be necessary. The goal isn’t for us to commit anything illegal to escape.”

“That’s not the goal, but it might go south pretty fast if I don’t make arrangements just in case. You feel me? I’ll be able to warn you if he tries to pull anything, this way.”

Goro hums in acknowledgement.

“I know the building pretty well. Why are you going through the trouble of this? I thought we were just going to change my information on personal records if he was hesitant to let me go, but this is extreme. The problems will probably come afterward, will they not?” Not only from Shido, but from vampires and other politicians alike. Goro feels a headache coming on.

Futaba looks away. “Shido has always been an unjust and cruel man, right? We’re not taking any chances of ‘what if’s’. Especially with your life on the line.”

The room is quiet, for a moment. A pin dropping would be heard.

Goro swallows. “...Okay.” He says eventually. “Let’s do this.”

~

Goro is welcomed into the building by the door guards, and nods to them as he passes, truly feeling like he’s breaking and entering. He was equipped with a listening earpiece and a mic under the lapel of his coat, to record everything that went on in the room and stream back to Futaba.

If Shido found out about any of this stuff, he would be further damned if this meeting didn’t turn out in his favor.

He swallows thickly, waltzing by government and office workers he was familiar with, as they waved him on in and hopefully didn’t see the barely concealed anxiety on his face, the deceit in his body language. 

He’s escorted into Shido’s office. The door closes behind them all too loudly. He tries to keep his posture straight, the unease to a minimum.

He’s done this a million times before. He’s just never quit during one of these meetings.

Shido spins on his chair, looking truly like a cartoon-like villain overlooking the city from his big swivel chair on top of the world. He smiles, hands linked together under his chin as he leans onto the desk. “Akechi. How nice of you to finally show. I was wondering if you were serious about meeting today, after all.”

Goro has always been a good liar. He’s got this.

He smiles. It’s television ready, pristine, charming, and unrevealing. “Yes, well, you’ve kept me quite busy as of late.”

“But your tardiness isn’t revolved around my job offers, is it? If I recall, you denied those this morning. Off fooling around, Akechi?”

Goro blinks. _What._ “No, of course not. I work at the police station too, in case you’ve forgotten, Shido-san. I’d barely have time for that sort of thing, don’t you think?”

Shido nods.

Goro builds up the courage. _Here we go._ “Actually, I’ve been meaning to tell you. This job is becoming something I can no longer see myself—”

Shido holds up a hand, and Akechi holds his breath. Despite telling himself he wasn’t scared of this man, it didn’t always seem to work. Maybe he’d always be afraid of him. Huh.

“I think I know where this is going. You were one of my most trusted workers, Akechi, and I can’t simply let you out of this job.” He smiles, and stands. 

_Annnnnd here we go._

“Don’t you think you could complete the few last tasks I sent out for you, as an apology for resigning so upfront? I’ll need to arrange other plans, otherwise.”

Goro swallows, as Shido leans against the front of his desk, rifling through papers. “I… don’t think so, sir. I won’t be able to.”

“A shame.” Shido says, pulling a file out. “Would you take a look at this for me? It’s another file I forgot to tack onto this morning’s list. I would pay a great deal for you to off this last one for me, at the very least.”

This needed to end _quickly._ ” Sir, I apologize, I don’t think I—”

“Just read it for me, won’t you, Akechi?”

After a moment of his eyes fleeting between Shido’s eyes, the file in an outstretched hand, and that untrustworthy smile, he grabs the file folder, the pristinely clean and thick envelope—all for one candidate?

The paper sounds loud under his gloved fingers as he grabs it.

He opens the front page, and almost drops the file all together, not even needing to process this much.

There’s photos pinned to the inside, ones of a face he knows all too well. 

_**Akira Kurusu.** _

The name is printed so finely in the top center page, the bold letters making him feel ill, almost faint. He doesn’t even need to read further on to know that their plan to escape Shido’s grasp quickly and efficiently would fail, now.

“I—I don’t—”

_“Akechi, what’s happening? Do you need to get out of there?! Hey!”_ Futaba calls, but it’s no use. His tongue sinks like lead, too heavy to speak. His minds blanks out as he tries to think of where he went wrong. Shido laughs. 

“Cat got your tongue? It’s your friend, is it not? I’m ashamed my own son couldn’t tell someone close to him like this was a vampire. I was quite embarrassed when I was given these photos, some even of you as well. But well, we can cover that part up, right? Nothing a few friends can’t be paid off for.” Shido’s smile is so evident in his voice, but Goro can’t look up.

“How did you find out?” He asks raggedly, ignoring Futaba’s pleas in his ear.

“You seem surprised that I have eyes everywhere.” he tisks. “So, will you get rid of that one for me, then? As a last job; A parting, of sorts. I’d pay you well—That one works in the public, as you know. How long before he snaps, and goes berserk on some innocent bystander?”

“No!” Goro says, much too loudly, his goody-two-shoes act trashed. “He wouldn’t. I—”

“They all turn eventually, Akechi. And you’ve betrayed me in thinking you could hide something like this from me. What was your plan? Kill all but one—just because he was your friend? Is he why you’re quitting, too?” Shido laughs, a mocking sound. Goro feels like he might throw up all over the expensive carpet.

Shido walks by him. When did he move from his desk? Everything is moving so weirdly in time. “So you did know, huh. I see. So you aren’t that easy to deceive after all, you’re just a traitor to the cause.”

Goro swallows. He’s not exactly wrong, there.

“And after this kind of betrayal, you wanted me to just let you leave, not only being my bastard son, but also with the knowledge of the inner workings of my estate?”

“I just don’t want to _do_ this anymore.” He says, frantic. “You want your many secrets concealed for good? Let me leave, and don’t target him, either. Those are my conditions.” It’s the last card up his sleeve, and he feels cornered to say the least. His heartbeat is erratic in his chest.

Shido laughs. “I don’t feel like playing games with you anymore. You’re a disgrace to this company, and me. Did you really think you could just leave after attempting to fool us, like this?”

Goro blinks, rage taking over. What was Shido going to do? Get him arrested? “I have recordings of previous calls, showing what you’ve done. Things you’ve _asked_ me to do, with payment.” _And this discussion—thank you, Futaba._ “Don’t think you can blackmail me. I’m sure the backlash would be bigger, for your sake.”

“You’re smart, but not that smart, Akechi. The police would look away in a heartbeat for some extra zeroes thrown their way.”

“The police might try to,” He admits, eyes squinted. He knows the ones who wouldn’t be swayed, but their opinion could easily be overridden by someone higher up. “But the public won’t. You think I won’t release them if you attempt to go after me?”

Shido shrugs. “Try what you may. You’d be impressed with the influence I have over this city, Akechi.”

Goro grows tired of this. Futaba’s silent on her end, and he can only hope she’s alright. But he won’t spend another second here.

He’s said what he needed to, after all. Done Shido the courtesy of resigning in person. 

He’s done, and he won’t be used anymore.

After feeling rage flow through him like a wave, he turns for the door. He flings it open, only to be met with the grinning eyes of the Cleaner in his view. His old coworker to clean up the vampire corpses for him. After a second he goes to push past him, not interested in being involved with any more vampire killing work.

Only to feel a stabbing pain in his abdomen.

He backs up, and stares, confused, and mouth parted, as blood soaks his shirt like a broken well, dripping to the floor drop by slow drop, and then just a bit faster.

Oh. So the cleaner wasn’t there for more work.

“You…” Goro says, dumbfounded. Shido makes an annoyed noise in the background.

“I told you to take it somewhere else! Now I’ll have to replace this carpet, too.” Something else falls from his lips, presumably curses and mutters of _“Unbelievable.”_

“You stabbed me. In a government building.” Goro says in shock, blinking and trying to soak that information up, before turning back up to face him, a laugh on his lips. “You really _are_ mad, Shido. First vampires, and now this? I’m sure your coworkers will take kindly my body left on the floor for the janitors.” He chokes, and coughs. He keeps pressure on the wound, eyes tearing up at a wince. But he can’t exactly faint, not like this—with the cleaner and his lackeys behind him, and Shido in front.

That issue is solved quickly enough, though. Shido, with a flick sideways of his chin, tells him to scram. The cleaner departs from the room.

“He’ll be back in a moment. I’m due for an early day anyway—The rest of the building was already cleared, anyway.”

“Of course it was.” Goro grins, blood spilling over his hand, tightly clenching to protect the wound, but it’s inevitable. Shio was one step ahead of him—he couldn’t get his father to just leave him alone, even in the end. When he was finally happy.

He walks closer, as Goro slides back against the wall for support, head dizzy. Did his earpiece fall out? All he can hear is a buzzing in his brain, and Shido’s voice.

“I don’t take well to threats, Akechi. Honestly, I thought you would be smarter than this.”

Goro laughs, and spits blood at Shido’s shoes. “It’s not like I’ve ever met your standards for anything before.” Could never get more than a former appraisal from his own father, after all the work he did.

Shido frowns at the blood on his shoe.

“I shouldn’t take away all the credit from you, though.”

Goro looks up, weary and confused. “What?” He asks, breathless, and trying to keep the wound pressured. He wants to see Akira. He doesn’t want to be in this room, doesn’t want _this_ to be his last moments.

“You did choose an interesting set of people to befriend. I understand it to some degree.” Shido says, considering. “After all, if your friend hadn’t been there, that vampire would have killed your sister. Of course you wanted to trust him after something like that.”

Goro’s eyes widen. It’s something he hadn’t considered until just now, and he might just be going out of it due to lack of blood to the head, but… The cafe. That night. The vampire that had seemingly been after Futaba—after _him_ too, in the station on his first date with Akira—Shido sent them.

It’s like an epiphany. Shido has been trying to get him out of the picture for a while now, if not to prompt him to do better at his job with some hard pushes.

“ _You_ sent that vampire. You arranged that.”

Shido laughs “Didn’t see that one? Oh dear.” He seems more than thrilled to elaborate. “You were distracted from your work as of late. I assumed some _push_ in the right direction would be necessary to get you back on track.” He smiles, watching Goro bleed out against the wall. “I imagine there’s no better incentive than having a vampire kill your sister when you least expect it, on top of the first tragic death of your mother. Surely, after that, you would’ve had a fire alighted underneath you to continue working hard without distraction and be determined to bring justice to this city, yes?” Shido laughs, mocking.

“Then again,” he starts. “Maybe you only do have yourself to thank for all that’s happened. If only you hadn’t messed up the other week, on top of everything. Then I wouldn’t have even known about your friend.”

And Goro’s sure the reason he was targeted was just another test of skill, and he failed.

“Shido, you _bastard!_ ” Goro says through gritted teeth and blood, clutching at his wound as he tries to sit up. He wants to murder one person right now, and he’s not a vampire.

Just a horrible, horrible human.

Shido turns to leave, door on the handle. “Have a good last few moments, Akechi. If your friends try and come against me like you have… well, I won’t be as lenient. Hopefully they’ll take it as a lesson, yeah?” He laughs. “I might just spare your sister, but thank you for leading me to your friend.”

It’s just as Goro dreaded. 

Goro scrambles to get up, to follow, to hit him, something, but his body won’t follow his own brain. His limbs are heavy, and he’s tired. But he can’t give up here, can he?

At the very least, He trusts that maybe Futaba can save Akira, and their friends after hearing all that had went down through this meeting.

That alone almost ceases the fight in his body. _They’d be safe_ , and that’s all that really matters, right? He’s the one who was playing with fire. He deserved this.

Shido opens the door, and doesn’t leave. With the last if his energy, Goro looks to the side, hoping to see why.

Shido stares to the door entrance in what looks like shock, before going to close the door. But not before a bloodied hand catches the door before it swings closed. Shido falls back, trying to get to safety, as someone comes in casually, covered in blood.

It’s _Akira._

Of course it’s Akira.

It’s like an injection of adrenaline, and he’s reacting instantaneously. “Akira—what are you doing, _leave!_ ” He chokes out, blood still clogging his throat. He coughs violently. Akira turns to him with a small frown, eyes scarily bright and gold, no happiness to be found on his face.

There’s a moment between them now, and Akira’s eyes are cold and ruthless.

But he smiles for Goro, looking sad. Apologetic.

“I shouldn’t have let you go in alone in the first place. I’m sorry.” Goro wants to cry. He’s not glad Akira is risking himself like this, but he’s glad he got to _see_ him.

Goro feels tears fill his eyes. “You’re here _now,_ it’s fine.” He says, as his wound throbs, and he winces. A reminder. “Just please, please leave. Don’t get caught up in this. For me, Akira.” His last wish was to see Akira, after all. If it was fulfilled like this, and Akira ended up safe, he would be happy.

“I can’t do that, Goro. I’m sorry. Wait a moment, will you? And keep the pressure on that wound.” His voice is almost cold now, dead set in his plan.

“ _Akira!_ ” His call goes ignored.

Shido is fumbling behind his desk during all this, and once Akira’s attention is back on him, he pulls a gun out, hands and voice shaking horribly. 

“Don’t move, you hear me? I’ve got silver bullets loaded in this!”

Akira smiles, a wicked and cruel thing. Not like the smile he spared for Akechi. “Is that so?” He taunts, voice dripping with ice.

Shido shoots, and like a blink, Akira is next to Shido, wringing his hand at the wrist at a bad angle until he drops the gun from pain in his hand. Goro feels like he’s fading in and out, but the prominent sound in the room is Shido’s screaming. 

“It’s a _shame_ you weren’t a vampire, huh? Silver bullets and a gun mean nothing in the hands of an untrained human. You got everyone else to do dirty work for you—The cleaner may have been skilled at his job too, but he can’t help you when he’s _dead._ Maybe you should have taken on some jobs yourself, huh?” An unsettling grin passes over Akira’s face once again.

Shido whimpers, sniveling and disgusting like the rat he was—already reduced to this when nobody could help him.

“I-If you let me go, I’ll let you and Akechi leave! I won’t come after you, and we can forget he ever worked here.” 

Akira tilts his head. “That _almost_ sounds like the offer Akechi gave you. But you were so intolerant that you got someone to stab him instead of listening, isn’t that right?” Akira conjures a knife, seemingly out of nowhere. “Too much of a hassle for a busy man like you I’m sure. I wonder how you’d feel if I took your offer after stabbing you, huh?” He aligns the knife to Shido’s throat, eyes bloodthirsty and teeth sharp under his grin.

Goro watches this unfold with wide eyes. This was nothing like he’d ever seen Akira before. Even when Akechi held a gun at him, all that he got were eyes filled with despair and sadness. 

This? This is the vampire he thought he’d be met with, after the reveal. A foreign version of Akira he expected, but never saw. But Akira was acting this way for his sake, seemingly enraged, while he coldly assesed Shido. Would he _murder_ Shido for Akechi?

That knowledge doesn’t settle him down.

“Akira,” He wheezes, as loud as he can. “Please, don’t.” It’s not that he wants Shido alive. He doesn’t want Akira to dirty his hands further because of him.

Akira didn’t want to hurt anyone, after all. But by the sounds of it, the Cleaner was already dead by his hand, too.

Akira’s eyes flicker to him before flickering back to Shido. All jokes are gone from his eyes as he poses a new idea to Shido.

“I’ll make you a better deal in exchange for keeping your life.”

Shido looks on, seating at the brow while he stares at Akira’s eyes like a lure, knife pin-pricking into his throat, almost. 

“Anything.” Shido begs.

Akira grins.

The sound of footsteps could be heard. Sirens become clear, echoing from outside.

“Ha!” Shido laughs, as he relaxes. “You informed the police? That was your plan? The police won’t be able to get anything on me. You’ve made a bad call, there.”

“It’s fine.” Akira says, teeth now seemingly gritted. “The police may be willing to look past a string of vampire murders, but how much leeway will money grant you when we have footage of you killing your own human son?”

This time, Shido pales, smile frozen in place.

Goro smiles shakily, feeling his vision go spotty. 

They won, in the end.

~

“....Goro….. _GORO._ Wake up!” He feels himself being shaken.

He opens his eyes, but the world feels so heavy. He’s gone past the point of being in pain, and now he just feels numb, and like he wants to sleep a lot.

But for Akira, he’ll try to stay awake just a bit longer.

He listens to the conversation at hand with cotton in his brain and flowing out of his ears, watching with tired, half-lidded eyes.

“Sae, please, leave us for a minute. I can fix this.” Akira asks—begs, in a quiet voice, squeezing her wrist. She looks upset about something. He’s not too sure what Akira was talking about either, but after a moment, she nods, and whispers something he can’t hear. Shido’s already gone (he thinks), but the police guarding the room leave with her at her call, hesitance in their step.

“Give them a few minutes. At least until the ambulance comes.” He hears her say to one of the officers. 

He really was dying, wasn’t he?

As the door closes softly, Akira falls to the ground, pulling Goro up into his arms. There’s so much emotion in his eyes as he brings their foreheads together, and Goro watches, distantly. Like it’s not _him_ it’s happening to.

“I’m sorry I was late.” Akira says, pained as he pulls one of Goro’s cold and empty hands up to his own cheek, pressing it there. 

Akira almost feels warm to him, now. No more shocking cold hands. Maybe that says something about his own body temperature. _Uh oh._

Akechi looks down at his still somehow leaking wound despite feeling like he’s been drained three times over, eyes feeling heavy as he watches Akira glance at it too. 

“We match.” Goro snorts, quiet and possibly dying, and Akira shoots him a look.

“I’m going to save you, Goro.” Akira grasps at his hand, clutching it. Goro’s eyes widen, and he tries to pull his hand away, inevitably failing.

He squints. “What?” what could Akira possibly do for him…?

Akira is looking at him with watery eyes, trying to see Goro’s reaction as he bites his lip, hard.

Goro’s eyes widen a fraction.

Even next to death, he knows where this is going.

“No! No, I—”

“I know it’s not what you wanted,” Akira says, hurried. “But there might not be an option, here. I’m sorry it’s come to this. I should’ve went in with you, I should’ve—”

“Hey,” Goro croaks. “Stop blaming yourself. We both made this plan, didn’t we? We were just outmatched. I didn’t think he’d use his other employees to dispose _a human._ ” He groans. 

Akira bites his lip. “I’m going to help you. I need you to tell me yes. I—” he looks down, eyes fittering across his skin. “I don’t want you to hate me after all we’ve been through. After all you’ve accepted of me already—but I can't let you die, either.” 

“Akira,” Goro starts. He knows what the implication here, is.

“I won’t leave you.” Akira says softly, lovingly and less urgent, trying to worm his way into Goro’s heart even more. “I promise. You’ll never be alone, not like you were afraid of all this time.” Akira says, eyes breathtakingly kind, even while so sharp and gold in color. He used to hate that shade, but it’s become just as charming as his grey-toned ones, too. Instead of a jarring, too-bright gold, it almost feels like he’s looking at sunlight, now. 

“I can’t force your hand if it’s what you truly want, but I,” Akira blinks, tears falling, too. “I don’t want to lose you, after all this—after how far we’ve come. I want to make more memories with you yet. A forever’s worth of memories. We’ve done next to nothing with each other and I need more time with you. All of it, if you’ll allow me. Please.” Akira swears, voice thick and rambling. “I love you, Goro. Please don’t die on me.”

Goro’s throat closes up at the words processing, and he’s pretty sure he’s still crying. Akira squeezes him tightly at the fingers, interlocked. 

“I—” He bites his own tongue. He was scared, but just being with Akira seems to calm his racing heart down. Or maybe that was just his time running out, he’s not especially sure.

But what Akira’s promising… It sounds nice. He’s never thought he’d make it more than a few more years at most. The idea of years and years with Akira...

“If it’s you… I..” He swallows. “You promise you won’t leave?” He asks, just a bit more meekly.

Akira gives him a brilliant grin, tears dropping still. “I promise. I’ll be with you forever, Goro.” he hums, as he nuzzled into Goro’s neck, leaving a soft kiss on the healing neck wound from before. “I won’t leave you now, or ever again, if you’ll tolerate it. Please just say yes.”

“Forever,” Goro mumbles, dreamily.

“That’s a yes, right?”

Goro thinks about his childhood, and how for so many years he was ruled by hate and anger after what happened to his mother. How even after learning of what Akira was, he felt so betrayed. So unsure. The idea of eternity was haunting, and the idea of spending it alone if he was turned became a worry he didn’t like to think about throughout his lifetime.

...But it didn’t have to be a scary thing, did it? 

The idea that Akira was proposing… sounded like a fairy tale. Too ideal. 

But it sounded perfect, too. He doesn’t think Akira would break a promise to him, either.

“Yes.” And like that, Akira lets out a held breath, a winning smile forming. 

“Thank you,” He says, before nuzzling his forehead with his own. 

Like a cat, Goro thinks with dark haze rimming his vision. A vampire cat, maybe. The idea is amusing enough, but it’s hard to chuckle when every breath he takes is full of unimaginable pain. He gazes dully up at Akira, who had leaned back and closed his eyes, wincing as he does...something. Goro can’t really make much sense of anything anymore, nor does he want to try. It feels so easy to just give in to the darkness.

Molten gold pierces through the haze of his vision, its honeyed glow chasing away the dark splotches in Goro’s vision as he finds Akira has locked eyes with him, sheer determination swirling in its midst. 

“Are you ready?”

Goro closes his eyes. “As I’ll ever be.”

He senses rather than feels their lips touch, the tangible warmth of Akira’s mouth coaxing his open like the soothing dip of sunset. When his tongue gently probes his, he knows. The moment the liquid touches his tongue, cold and eternal, it’s a slow but tranquil revelation.

It’s not as scary with Akira there.

~

_Breaking news tonight— political figure Masayoshi Shido has been arrested for his involvement in the disappearances of local vampires in the city of Tokyo, apparently having more information than previously letting on in his speeches pertaining the subject. Illegal means were used to further his campaign, that much is certain. He’s been given charges of murder with more to be revealed yet, and has been given to land him several years if not life in prison._

_“One of the individuals he’d presumably tried to keep silent was none other than local police worker, Goro Akechi,’ a young police officer who had been found dead at the scene of Shido’s office. Video footage of the event has been attained as well. Little has been revealed on the exact nature of his involvement in any statement yet, but proof is being recovered as we speak to prove his guilt and relation to these cases.”_

~

Akira taps his spoon impatiently on the tabletop at Leblanc, and Sojiro frowns at him.

“Kid, can you just use the spoon for stirring your tea, instead of making dents in my furniture? I’ll have to pay for that at this rate.”

Akira stops tapping the spoon handle against the table. “Huh?” He looks down, and while there’s not a dent, there are marks that are definitely his doing. “Oh. Sorry.”

“You should be drinking that tea, you know. It’s cold enough by now.”

“Can’t, I need coffee.”

Sojiro rolls his eyes. “You don’t need coffee; you’re antsy as it is, don’t you think?”

Akira frowns, and sips at it. Not even a moment passes. “It tastes bad. You should stick with coffee, old man.” He deadpans.

“Wh—You can’t even _taste_ it!” Sojiro accuses, offended.

“Okay, it _feels_ like it tastes bad.”

Sojiro gives him a look.

Akira bites his lip. “I’m sorry.” He says. “I’m panicking.”

“Didn’t need to be a scientist to figure that out, kid.”

Futaba is beside him, silent as well. He’s pretty sure Sojiro only commented on his behaviour because he needed something to be said in the quiet. That, and Akira tapping along three times faster than a clocks’ ticking was making the silence all so much louder.

Akira wrings a hand back through his hair again. They’re waiting on Sae, specifically. It’s around the time she should be here, but he can’t seem to keep his head on straight with all the worry piling up in his chest.

Sojiro had told him to invite the rest of his friends to ease the tension, and maybe make the time go by faster, but Akira declined. The police were still pretty suspicious and out a lot lately, not to mention on a night like tonight, where Shido was arrested. He didn’t need to pull more attention to this cafe—especially when Akechi was coming back soon.

He didn’t know what kind of shape Akechi would be in when he came through those doors, and he probably didn’t want a party waiting on him after what happened. 

Also, Akira’s pretty sure that his friends won’t be able to distract him; rather, he’s one hundred percent sure he would just pull the mood down. He can’t even placate Futaba when he’s like this.

Maybe because the circumstances were so dire. If Sae didn’t show up soon, that meant they’d failed, and she wouldn’t be showing up _at all_.

After what feels like forever, a silver car pulls up to the front door. Futaba’s hands slapping the table as she stands throws him into motion, as well—standing and waiting with bated breath.

Sae walks through the door, tugging Akechi by the gloved hand. He was wearing different clothes than he was earlier that night, due to his detective uniform being soaked through with blood. He wore a hoodie and some basic sweatpants, and an overall blank look on his face.

When Goro looks up to see Futaba and Akira, he rushes forward, maybe a little uneasily, and wraps an arm around both of them, making Futaba stretch to her tippy toes and Akira crouch into the one armed hug to make up for that height difference. 

“You’re okay!” Futaba says, finally able to speak and smiling as she reciprocates the hug back. Akira has just been shocked into silence. He just clutches him tighter, gripping on every word that leaves his mouth.

“Haha, yes, I’m fine now.”

_I almost lost this._ He feels the tears come back. He’s not even embarrassed. Futaba is loudly bawling into Goro’s other ear. He can see Sojiro crying on the side, too, wiping at his cheek. 

They’re only hugging tightly for another moment before Sae clears her throat and they look her way.

“Alright—I’m sorry to break this up for a minute, but you realize how dangerous this plan was, yes?” She’s holding the bridge of her nose. 

Akira smiles sympathetically her way, turning out of Goro’s embrace. “It might’ve been the only way, Sae. And you pulled it off, too.”

“Yes, well—Futaba, I hear you’re the one who’ll be changing his documents, yes? You should get on that.” It’s a dismissal as any, but Futaba nods, sniffling.

“Got it, ma’am!” And then, she’s patting Goro on the shoulder as if to say _follow_ before running up the stairs to fetch her laptop.

“Kurusu-san. A word?” Sae asks, hovering by the door. Akira nods once in understanding, before turning to Goro.

He pulls him in for a proper hug, and gives him a kiss on the cheek before the others could say anything. Futaba was upstairs and couldn’t tease him, so that was also nice. He then leaves outside the door with Sae, to talk in the back alley of Leblanc, keeping their voices hushed.

She looks pretty mad.

“What were you thinking, Kurusu? Making a plan like that up last minute! If the rest of my squad had overheard what you planned, I would have lost my job on the spot.” She leans into her hand, frustration evident. “I still might lose it.”

Akira frowns. “I apologize, Sae-san. I couldn’t let Goro die there. After the plan went wrong, it’s the best I could do.” He hadn’t planned on Goro getting hurt, after all. The plan was to go in, go out, do what he had to to get him out of that job, giving support through his ear. He really did expect the rest would come later, and he’d have to protect Goro then. But that all went down the drain when Goro was stabbed. 

She sighs, giving in just a bit. “You’re seriously smart though, I’ll give you that. Did you really think to fake his death on the spot?”

Akira swallows, eyes flickering back and forth. He tries to not to think about how real his death could have been.“I thought he was going to die, Sae. I didn’t really have an option but to turn him, did I? And get your help, too. The turning process allowed you to take his body in before sneaking him out again, so it’s not like they’ll know, right?” For all the hospital knew, he was still in the morgue, even now. 

His plan was risky. Goro getting hurt wasn’t part of the plan at all, but he had to improvise, and Futaba had told him on the earpiece what they could do to save him, still.

“I owe you a great deal for helping Makoto some time ago, Kurusu, but after this? My debt is paid. I won’t risk my job like this again.”

He nods. “I know. Thank you for what you did, Sae. I know it must’ve been hard.”

“It’s not just that!” She frets. “If you were found to be involved, you would’ve been jailed too, or worse.” she scolds.

He smiles, leaning into the wall. “You know it would have been the ‘ _or worse_ ’ part. For him, too.”

She frowns, lips thin. “Yes. you’re right.”

It’s another reason their plan had turned so drastic.

He knew it the moment he had bitten Goro—if he was to be taken to court in a vampire state, he would’ve for sure been killed for it.

Killing a vampire as a human would probably get him a shorter sentence, but both him and Sae knew what that outcome would have turned to in court with Akechi being freshly turned vampire.

_A murderer, turned? Too dangerous to stay alive, to wander our streets!_

The odds were, his time would have been double what Shido had gotten, or be sentenced to death just for the threat he may have posed, now.

And if he let Goro stay as a human, he may have had a shorter sentence from the blackmail involvement, but he would have certainly died in that room, with or without medical help.

His fists clench at his side just at the thought.

He’s just glad Sae was on the same page as him.

It was _unfair,_ and they weren’t just going to let it happen.

“I know you were sticking your neck out for me by following my idea. I won’t pull something like this again, or ask anything of you. It’s just…” Even now, his stomach roils at the thought of anything happening to Akechi. He would have done anything to get him out of that situation alive, no matter what.

He’s just glad he knew a police officer who thought similarly to him, one that liked Akechi and didn’t want to see injustice befall him either.

“I get it,” She says, hand raised to stop him. She’s smiling, now. “If this was the only outcome where he lives, along with Shido actually being imprisoned for his crimes, I’ll accept it.”

He sighs. “Thanks you.” Relief. He closes his eyes.

“But,” She throws in. “No more going outside the law for either of you, or your friends. I know the system is as messy as the public is right now, and it’s not fair to anyone. Especially people like you—you have to fight for yourselves a lot, it seems. I’ll try my best to change the way it is, but I need you all to all to lie low for the time being.” She nods. “You can trust me. I won’t let anything happen to you or your friends anymore. If anyone gets too curious about Akechi, I can probably do something about it within legal means. But there shouldn’t be an issue, with Futaba making him a new profile like this.”

“Thank you, Sae.” And he means it.

She pats him on the shoulder. “I’ve overstayed my welcome. Please tell boss to have a lovely night. And take care of Akechi for the meantime, will you? I think it’s been a rough night for him especially. Jarring, to say the least.”

He smiles, and waves. She wouldn’t have to tell him twice to take care of Akechi. “You got it, Sae.”

~

When he comes back up the stairs, Futaba is just closing her laptop.

“There! All done. You’re a new man now, how do you feel?”

“Like I need to sleep for 10 years, even if I don’t need it anymore.” Akechi grumbles.

“That’s the spirit!” Her eyes catch Akira and she stands. “It’s good to have you back, Goro. I’ll let you catch up, okay? See you!” Then, as quick as she ran up the stairs, she leaves the building, leaving only him and Goro alone together.

“Hey.” Akira opens with.

“Hey, yourself.” Goro snorts, patting the spot next to him. Akira follows his hand without question, planting himself on the ground next to his boyfriend and throwing his arms around his neck, pulling him into another embrace.

“Are you okay?” He asks, just a bit shaken. The last he saw of Goro was him bleeding out before he’d been escorted out by cops.

“I’m fine, now.” Goro says, returning the hug and wrapping his arms around Akira. 

“Are you sure? They didn’t do anything to you, right? And you’re not in any pain--”

Goro laughs, lightly. “I’m fine. You fixed it, remember?”

“And you’re not mad?” He asks, heart beating terribly. 

Goro pulls back, and tilts his head. “Maybe if this happened sooner, I would’ve been. But you can be quite convincing.”

“I try.” Akira grins, planting a kiss on Goro’s equally cold cheek. 

“That was extremely reckless. If you’d been caught involved with saving me—you would have been facing the same charges as I was.”

“It’d be worth it,” Akira says. “But I knew it would work.” It’s not like anyone other than the Sakura’s would be looking for his corpse, proof of his death, dark as it was. For all the police know, they still have Goro Akechi’s body.

“You’re ridiculous. Absolutely insane, sometimes. You didn’t kill the Cleaner, either—bluffing like that to stall, were you? Or maybe just to take his attention off me until the police showed...” Goro huffs. “But… I’m glad you didn’t give up on me.”

“I could’ve killed him, for what he did to you.” Akira hums, trying to sound more indifferent, but he knew Goro could see through that. “....It’s more like, I wanted Shido to take me seriously. You would’ve been safer if I could scare him, and it worked.” Akira snorts. He had only knocked the Cleaner out with some average scuffle wounds and bleeding. And while Akira rushed onto the scene with Goro, his friends had infiltrated the building and guarded the room the cleaner was in, ensuring he wouldn't wake up so soon. 

“Of course I wouldn’t give up on you. Are you kidding me?” Akira scoffs.

“I’m only upset about the fact that I won’t properly be able to redeem myself, it feels like.” Goro frowns. “Now that I’m ‘dead’ I can’t exactly repent for my mistakes with a sentence…”

Akira swallows, and debates his next words.. “They... wouldn’t have given you jail time, Goro.”

That implication settles uneasily in the room.

“Well.” Goro says, breaking the silence after a second. “Thank you for helping me, then. Even if It’s what I deserved.”

“I’m one for justice like you,” Akira says, “but they wouldn’t have been acting fairly. For now, we can lie low, and you can recover.” He pauses. “Me and my friends—your friends now, too—we’re trying to do what we can to do better from the outside, if you’d like to help.” He swallows. “We have to lie low for a while until news of your death and Masayoshi shido’s sentence calms down, but… If you wanted to help us, I know they’d be grateful. Only if you want, though. ” He’s already seen Goro’s change. He didn’t need further proof, but if Goro wanted some way to atone, to feel better about his wrongdoings, he wasn’t afraid to let him join their cause.

Goro blinks. “I’d… I’d like that. If you’d allow me to join you, that is.”

“Of course.”

A calm passes over them.

“I probably shouldn’t go out for a while either, huh?” Goro comments. Akira pulls him close to his chest.

“Probably not. We’ll have to stay quiet, for a bit. But cooping up in your apartment for a few weeks sounds nice, doesn’t it?”

Goro snorts. “Should I trim my hair? I will have to go outside at some point, you know.”

Akira’s heart warms. “That’d look nice on you, I think. Or growing it out.”

“Hm. Maybe not.” Goro cringes.

Akira shrugs. “Hey, suit yourself.” _I just like ponytails is all._ But Goro could pull off any new look, and he knows it.

“...Did you mean what you said? In Shido’s office.” Goro looks away, cheeks warming. It’s nice, that even as a vampire, they could still have normal reactions like that. He likes Goro flustered, red and embarrassed.

He plants his chin in between Goro’s shoulder and head. “More than you know. I was so afraid I’d lose you.”

Goro sighs, and leans back. “ I was scared until you got there, if I’m honest.”

“You don’t have to be, not anymore. You’ll never see him again.” He clutches tighter. “He can’t hurt you again. He’ll be behind bars, soon.”

“I’m free.” Goro whispers, like he’s just realizing it now.

“You’re free.” Akira confirms, a smile coming to his lips.

“And we’ll be okay?”

We’ll be okay.”

~

(Later, Akira would be catching up with Futaba on the events that happened.

“Me and Goro were making and going through legal documents earlier. You saw us, right?”

Akira flips a page in his newspaper. “Yep. Passports and Identification and stuff, right?” He replies, half-listening.

She nods, humming. “Did he tell you what he changed his new last name to on his birth certificate?” Futaba asks, smugly, tapping away at her phone. It’s one of those rhythm games he’s not very good at.

“It’s _officially_ Sakura now, right?” Akira asks, taking a sip of his coffee, and reading the headlines. Every other page was about Shido’s arrest. It seemed Shido would be put in jail for a long set of years to come.

“Nope,” She laughs. “They would have caught that immediately. Anyway, It looks like you guys are married now. He asked you first about using your last name, right?” She grins.

Coffee dribbles out of Akira’s mouth and back into the cup. It’s the most taken off-guard he’s been in a while. He stares at her, eyes wide. “...Can you repeat that?”)

~

Being a vampire is different than Goro expects, and surprises him every day, for a while.

He starts feeling like his own daily routines are becoming a new sort of study, learning what the do’s and don’t are now.

He doesn’t need to eat breakfast anymore. Akira still makes curry some afternoons in his apartment, just to get the smell flowing around, sometimes. It’s nostalgic, at least.

His blood supplier becomes the same as Akira’s. 

Tae Takemi is a sharp woman who catches onto who he is within moments—but gives him the dosages he needs, anyway. He’s thankful. And he doesn’t feel as weird, knowing that they’re getting this by innocent means of donation. 

It’s odd—but blood begins to taste like the thing you crave the most. Akira mocks him when he learns Goro mostly just tastes blood as something overly sugary, a lot of the time.

It’s not pancakes or crepes, but he’ll take it. If anything, it just means longer time to sleep in the morning, no need for much sustenance for days at at time. Which means more time with Akira, more time cuddling, and less hassle. He thinks he could get used to it.

He doesn’t work with Sae and the police station anymore, but that’ll change with time. Everything would change in a few years. The name Akechi Goro would be long forgotten, for one. And he might be able to continue where his old life left off by that time, when he still looks too youthful to possibly be that dead detective. Suspicion would leave him eventually.

But for now, Akira suggests they even move, start anew. Maybe visit his hometown for a few years, or even go somewhere else. Explore the world.

They certainly have the time, and he’s always liked the idea of travel.

Currently, he works at Leblanc. Not much goes on there, and the pay is good. Not as great as when he was working for Shido, but it’s almost a relief—he doesn’t feel like it’s dirty money in his pocket, anymore. It’s hard-earned cash, doing something he likes. With people he likes.

Akira’s friends are patient and accepting with him. They invite him out when he needs a breather, and they’re kind, despite what he’s done. He’s not sure if they truly forgive him for the things he committed, but they don’t brush it off, either. Instead, he learns that not all of them had started out perfect themselves, and that they were glad to help him work past his mistakes.

His sister studies him like a science experiment at first, but he doesn’t mind all that much. She doesn’t treat him any different, in the end. And now that he’s not playing at keeping distance from everyone he likes, they can spend more time together, too. 

Being a vampire is something he deemed a nightmare a year ago, this time. It was scary, the endless possibilities. Not many options in terms of dying. Being alone for a long, long time.

But Akira had reached out to him, and changed his mind.

If not for Akira, where would he be now?

He almost shudders.

Nothing as promising or bright as a forever like Akira promised, that’s for sure.

~

It’s a bright afternoon, and Goro walks into Leblanc for his day off. Futaba is waiting within, and she smiles an waves when he walks through the door, a chime in the air as the door clicks shut.

Sojiro had taken the day off as well, it seems. Was Futaba in charge today? Huh. That’s new.

“Akira’s upstairs, picking an outfit for your date.” Futaba hums around a lollipop, knees to her chest and playing a game on her laptop.

Akira fumbles down the stairs, as if called. “You know,” he starts, groaning. “It was more embarrassing the first time, but every time I hear you mentioning me to him I feel the need to run down.”

“Goro, Akira was up there for two hours trying to tame his hair for you. He even asked the cat for his opinion on his outfit when I wouldn’t reply.”

“Okay, _thanks,_ Futaba. We’ll be going now.” Akira mumbles.

“Have fun, lovebirds.” She waves, and they make their way outside.

“This is reminiscent.” Goro says. “I’m fairly certain our first date was like this.”

“Only difference being it was spring, then.” Akira says, humming, as he leans into Goro’s shoulder, hand stuffed in Goro’s coat pocket.

They spend the afternoon in Shibuya, just walking, conversing, and enjoying the good weather for an autumn day. It was funny, he saw Akira almost every waking hour now—but he could never get tired of hearing his voice, seeing him, or bantering with him.

Their days are pleasant. They speak now and then of moving in together soon, but nothing solid is established right off the bat. For now, they stay some nights at Leblanc, and sometimes Goro's apartment. They didn’t have solid plans for the future, but he felt fine about them taking it slow, day by day.

They have all the time in the world, after all.

And Goro thinks he can tolerate a forever if it’s like this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So, this wraps up my vampire fic! I hoped you liked it! ;w;  
> It was honestly much longer than I expected to churn out, and it was fun for a first run at a multi-chapter fic in the persona 5 fandom for me. You've all left so many wonderful and kind comments, and I'd like to say thanks for that! They really made my day, and it was really exciting to hear from new people and see thoughts from people who've been in my previous fandoms as well.
> 
> This is the official end of this story! I don't know if I'll add any one-shots for it later, (I considered writing an epilogue of sorts one-shot, but I think this fic ended off in a place where I personally feel satisfied). I'd like to work on more Shuake stories, and maybe write some shorter things for side pairings as well, when I have time. These next few months will be busy for other reasons for me, So I might not be posting more than one-shots for a while anyway. >_>; (That, and the other chapter to my mermaid fic.) but yeah! 
> 
> Also, A huge thanks to the lovely [@Somnicordia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hihazuki/pseuds/somnicordia) for beta reading for me, and helping write some of the scenes for this chapter. It was super helpful !! ;;
> 
> <3 <3 <3 
> 
> Thank you guys!!

**Author's Note:**

> A little nervous posting this one, since it didn't turn out exactly how i wanted... I wanted it to be a bit darker, but I'm not so good at that, I'm better at writing fluff LOL  
> Not even sure if it'll elicit much interest? I DON'T KNOW. I've never written these two before but it was fun!! It was mostly because I've always to write a vampire au for something, and since I haven't finished the game I figured i'd have to stick to aus.... for now lol
> 
> If you like this fic I'd love to know your thoughts, even if I don't reply i read everything people say and it keeps me going ;w; comments and kudos literally make my year lmfao
> 
> Thanks so much for reading!!
> 
> EDIT: Thank you to [@ChromeXVII](https://twitter.com/ChromeXVII) on twitter as well for this fanart, It's absolutely lovely ;w; --> [♡♡♡](https://twitter.com/ChromeXVII/status/1000485228341850112)


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